Prayer for Health Concerns
Open Access
- 26 April 2004
- journal article
- research article
- Published by American Medical Association (AMA) in Archives of internal medicine (1960)
- Vol. 164 (8) , 858-862
- https://doi.org/10.1001/archinte.164.8.858
Abstract
In addition to America's faith in scientific modern medicine, national surveys suggest that many Americans believe in the healing power of prayer.1-3 While there is no proven therapeutic efficacy of prayer,4,5 associations between spiritual beliefs and better health outcomes have been described.6-10 In light of these associations, the relationship between spirituality and health has generated interest in recent years.8,11,12 Investigating prayer's efficacy using scientific inquiry is controversial.13-16 However, prayer for health concerns may be an important phenomenon that should be understood by clinicians.This publication has 18 references indexed in Scilit:
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- Experiments on Distant Intercessory PrayerArchives of internal medicine (1960), 2001
- Should Academic Medical Centers Conduct Clinical Trials of the Efficacy of Intercessory Prayer?Academic Medicine, 2001
- Should Physicians Prescribe Religious Activities?New England Journal of Medicine, 2000
- Prayer as Therapy: A Challenge to Both Religious Belief and Professional EthicsHastings Center Report, 2000
- A Randomized, Controlled Trial of the Effects of Remote, Intercessory Prayer on Outcomes in Patients Admitted to the Coronary Care UnitArchives of internal medicine (1960), 1999
- Trends in alternative medicine use in the United States, 1990–1997: results of a follow-up national surveyComplementary Therapies in Medicine, 1999
- Religious Commitment and Health Status: A Review of the Research and Implications for Family MedicineArchives of Family Medicine, 1998
- Lack of Social Participation or Religious Strength and Comfort as Risk Factors for Death After Cardiac Surgery in the ElderlyPsychosomatic Medicine, 1995
- PSYCHOSOCIAL PREDICTORS OF MORTALITY AMONG THE ELDERLY POORAmerican Journal of Epidemiology, 1984