Clinical Trial

Medical Effects of Proximal (In-person) Intercessory (PIP) and Virtual Intercessory Prayer (VIP) on Pain and Anxiety

Completed
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Summary
This study examines whether proximal (in-person) intercessory prayer (PIP) and virtual intercessory prayer (VIP) can reduce pain and anxiety in adults seeking care at a family medicine clinic. Participants who report moderate or higher levels of pain or anxiety will be randomly assigned to receive either brief Christian prayer (in person or virtually) or a control condition of 5 minutes of relaxing music. Prayer sessions last approximately 5 to 15 minutes and are led by trained prayer practitioners. All participants complete surveys about their pain and anxiety levels before and after the session, and again at 2 to 4 weeks and 6 to 8 weeks. The goal is to determine whether prayer leads to greater improvement in pain and anxiety symptoms compared to the control condition, whether effects differ between in-person and virtual prayer, and how participants perceive the experience.
Trial Details
NCT Number NCT07565142
Lead Sponsor University of Maryland, Baltimore
Collaborators: Global Medical Research Institute
Conditions Pain and Anxiety, Complementary Therapies
Enrollment 180 participants
Start Date 2024-05-20
Primary Completion 2025-05-19 (estimated)
Study Completion 2025-05-19 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov 2026-05-04