Intervention Review

Intercessory prayer for the alleviation of ill health

  1. Leanne Roberts1,*,
  2. Irshad Ahmed2,
  3. Steve Hall3,
  4. Andrew Davison4

Editorial Group: Cochrane Schizophrenia Group

Published Online: 17 MAR 2010

Assessed as up-to-date: 13 NOV 2008

DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD000368.pub3

Database Title

Additional Information

How to Cite

Roberts L, Ahmed I, Hall S, Davison A. Intercessory prayer for the alleviation of ill health. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2009, Issue 2. Art. No.: CD000368. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD000368.pub3.

Author Information

  1. 1

    Trinity House, Southwark Diocesan Office, London, UK

  2. 2

    Capital Region Mental Health Center, Psychiatry, Hartford, Connecticut, USA

  3. 3

    The Deanery, Southampton, UK

  4. 4

    St Stephen's House, Oxford, UK

*Leanne Roberts, Southwark Diocesan Office, Trinity House, 4 Chapel Court, Borough High Street, London, SE1 1HW, UK. leanne.roberts@southwark.anglican.org.

Publication History

  1. Publication Status: Edited (no change to conclusions)
  2. Published Online: 17 MAR 2010

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Abstract

  1. Top of page
  2. Abstract
  3. Plain language summary
  4. Resumen
  5. 摘要

Background

Prayer is amongst the oldest and most widespread interventions used with the intention of alleviating illness and promoting good health. Given the significance of this response to illness for a large proportion of the world's population, there has been considerable interest in recent years in measuring the efficacy of intercessory prayer for the alleviation of ill health in a scientifically rigorous fashion. The question of whether this may contribute towards proving or disproving the existence of God is a philosophical question lying outside the scope of this review of the effects of prayer. This revised version of the review has been prepared in response to feedback and to reflect new methods in the conduct and presentation of Cochrane reviews.

Objectives

To review the effects of intercessory prayer as an additional intervention for people with health problems already receiving routine health care.

Search methods

We systematically searched ten relevant databases including MEDLINE and EMBASE (June 2007).

Selection criteria

We included any randomised trial comparing personal, focused, committed and organised intercessory prayer with those interceding holding some belief that they are praying to God or a god versus any other intervention. This prayer could be offered on behalf of anyone with health problems.

Data collection and analysis

We extracted data independently and analysed it on an intention to treat basis, where possible. We calculated, for binary data, the fixed-effect relative risk (RR), their 95% confidence intervals (CI).

Main results

Ten studies are included in this review (7646 patients). For the comparison of intercessory prayer plus standard care versus standard care alone, overall there was no clear effect of intercessory prayer on death (6 RCTs, n=3389, random-effects RR 0.73 CI 0.38 to 1.38). Data are heterogeneous (I2 =85%). Excluding one study from the meta-analysis (n=760) decreases this heterogeneity (I2 =44%) and shifts the finding towards the null (5 RCTs, n=2629, random RR 0.97 CI 0.63 to 1.50). For general clinical state there was also no significant difference between groups (5 RCTs, n=2705, RR intermediate or bad outcome 0.98 CI 0.86 to 1.11). Four studies found no effect for re-admission to Coronary Care Unit (4 RCTs, n=2644, RR 1.00 CI 0.77 to 1.30).Two other trials found intercessory prayer had no effect on re-hospitalisation (2 RCTs, n=1155, RR 0.93 CI 0.71 to 1.22).

Authors' conclusions

These findings are equivocal and, although some of the results of individual studies suggest a positive effect of intercessory prayer, the majority do not and the evidence does not support a recommendation either in favour or against the use of intercessory prayer. We are not convinced that further trials of this intervention should be undertaken and would prefer to see any resources available for such a trial used to investigate other questions in health care.

 

Plain language summary

  1. Top of page
  2. Abstract
  3. Plain language summary
  4. Resumen
  5. 摘要

Intercessory Prayer for the alleviation of ill health

Intercessory prayer is one of the oldest and most common interventions used with the intention of alleviating illness and promoting good health. It is practised by many faiths and involves a person or group setting time aside to petition God (or a god) on behalf of another who is in some kind of need. This review examines whether there is a difference in outcome for people who are prayed for by name whilst ill, or recovering from an illness or operation, and those who are not. Both groups of people still received their usual treatment for their illness. Ten trials were found which randomised a total of 7807 people. The majority of these compared prayer (for someone to become well) plus treatment as usual with treatment as usual without prayer. One trial had two prayer groups, comparing participants who knew they were being prayed for with those who did not.  Another trial prayed retroactively, randomising people a month to 6 years after they were admitted to hospital. Each trial had people with different illnesses. These included leukaemia, heart problems, blood infection, alcohol abuse and psychological or rheumatic disease. In one trial people were judged to be at high or low risk of death and placed in relevant groups.

Overall, there was no significant difference in recovery from illness or death between those prayed for and those not prayed for. In the trials that measured post-operative or other complications, indeterminate and bad outcomes, or readmission to hospital, no significant differences between groups were also found. However, in the trial that differentiated between high or low risk of death, people at high risk of death were significantly more likely to live if prayed for. Specific complications (cardiac arrest, major surgery before discharge, need for a monitoring catheter in the heart) were significantly more likely to occur among those in the group not receiving prayer. Finally, when comparing those who knew about being prayed for with those who did not, there were fewer post-operative complications in those who had no knowledge of being prayed for.

The authors conclude that due to various limitations in the trials included in this review (such as unclear randomising procedures and the reporting of many different outcomes and illnesses) it is only possible to state that intercessory prayer is neither significantly beneficial nor harmful for those who are sick. Further studies which are better designed and reported would be necessary to draw firmer conclusions.

 

Resumen

  1. Top of page
  2. Abstract
  3. Plain language summary
  4. Resumen
  5. 摘要

Antecedentes

Rezo por intercesor para el alivio de la enfermedad

El rezo es una de las intervenciones más antiguas y más extendidas entre las que se utilizan para aliviar enfermedades y promover la buena salud. Dada la importancia de esta respuesta a la enfermedad para una gran parte de la población mundial, en años recientes ha habido un considerable interés por cuantificar, de una forma científicamente rigurosa, la eficacia del rezo por intercesor para el alivio de la enfermedad. La cuestión de si este hecho puede contribuir a probar o refutar la existencia de Dios es un tema filosófico que se encuentra más allá del alcance de esta revisión sobre los efectos del rezo. Esta versión revisada de la revisión se ha preparado en respuesta a los comentarios recibidos y para reflejar los nuevos métodos en la realización y presentación de las revisiones Cochrane.

Objetivos

Revisar la efectividad del rezo por intercesor como intervención adicional para personas con problemas de salud que ya reciben atención médica habitual.

Estrategia de búsqueda

Se hicieron búsquedas sistemáticas en 10 bases de datos relevantes, incluyendo MEDLINE y EMBASE (junio 2007).

Criterios de selección

Se incluyeron los ensayos aleatorios que compararon rezo por intercesor personal, centrado, comprometido y organizado, de personas que intercedían mediante la creencia de que están rezando a Dios o a un dios, versus cualquier otra intervención. Este rezo debía ofrecerse en nombre de alguien con problemas de salud.

Obtención y análisis de los datos

Los datos se extrajeron de forma independiente y se analizaron, cuando fue posible, por intención de tratar. Para los datos binarios, se calculó el riesgo relativo (RR) de efectos fijos y los intervalos de confianza (IC) del 95%.

Resultados principales

Se incluyen diez estudios en esta revisión (7646 pacientes). Con respecto a la comparación de rezo por intercesor más atención estándar versus atención estándar sola, en términos generales no hubo ningún efecto claro del rezo por intercesor sobre la muerte (6 ECA, n = 3389, RR efectos aleatorios 0,73; IC: 0,38 a 1,38). Los datos son heterogéneos (I2 =85%). La exclusión de un estudio del metanálisis (n = 760) reduce esta heterogeneidad (I2= 44%) y desplaza el resultado hacia el cero (5 ECA, n = 2629, RR efectos aleatorios 0,97; IC: 0,63 a 1,50). En el caso del estado clínico general, tampoco hubo diferencias significativas entre los grupos (5 ECA, n = 2 705; RR resultado intermedio o malo 0,98, IC del 95%: 0,86 a 1,11). Cuatro estudios no hallaron efectos sobre el reingreso a la unidad de cuidados coronarios (4 ECA, n = 2 644; RR 1,00, IC del 95%: 0,77 a 1,30). Otros dos ensayos encontraron que el rezo por intercesor no tuvo efectos sobre la rehospitalización (2 ECA; n=1 155; RR 0,93, IC del 95%: 0,71 a 1,22).

Conclusiones de los autores

Estos resultados son ambiguos y, aunque algunos de los resultados de los estudios individuales indican un efecto positivo del rezo por intercesor, la mayoría no lo hace y las pruebas no apoyan una recomendación a favor o en contra del uso de rezo por intercesor. Los revisores no están convencidos de que deban realizarse ensayos adicionales sobre esta intervención y preferirían ver que los recursos disponibles para tales ensayos se utilizan para investigar otros temas de la asistencia sanitaria.

Traducción

Traducción realizada por el Centro Cochrane Iberoamericano

 

摘要

  1. Top of page
  2. Abstract
  3. Plain language summary
  4. Resumen
  5. 摘要

背景

舒緩疾病的代禱活動

禱告是一個古老且廣泛用來減輕病情和提昇健康的方式。全球很多人都禱告,近年也已經有以科學方法研究代禱對舒緩疾病的效果. 上帝是否存在是哲學性問題,不屬於這次回顧的範圍.本回顧對之前回顧的回應做出回答,並更新Cochrane回顧中的新研究方法和文獻

目標

對於那些健康問題已經接受標準醫療照護的病人,評估額外加入代禱的效果

搜尋策略

我們系統性的蒐尋十個相關資料庫,包含MEDLINE 和EMBASE (2005年六月)

選擇標準

我們納入隨機試驗,比較任何其他療法與任何個人、專門定期以及有組織的代禱者，這些代禱者宣稱對上帝或其他宗教神祇禱告,且為任何人有健康問題的人禱告

資料收集與分析

若文獻資料足夠,以意圖治療患者為研究主體,獨立擷取和分析資料.計算二元資料的固定效果RR和95%CI,需要治療人數和造成傷害人數

主要結論

本回顧納入10個研究(共7646位病患). 比較代禱活動加上標準療法或單獨使用標準療法, 整體來說, 代禱活動對死亡沒有顯著效果, 療效沒有統計顯著性且資料為異質(6個隨機對照試驗, 樣本數為6784, 隨機效果 RR 0.77 CI 0.51 – 1.16, I2 83%). 各不同治療組的臨床狀態也沒有顯著差異 (5 個隨機對照試驗,樣本數為2705, 治療結果中等或差的RR為 0.98, CI 0.86 – 1.11). 4試驗發現代禱活動對冠狀動脈照護中心的重新入院率也沒有影響(4個隨機對照試驗, 樣本數為2644, RR 1.00 CI 0.77 – 1.30).其它2試驗發現代禱活動對重新入院率沒有影響 (2 個隨機對照試驗, 樣本數為1155, RR 0.93 CI 0.71 – 1.22).

作者結論

這些發現都沒有明確結果,某些單獨試驗顯示代禱活動有正向療效, 但大部分都沒有. 無法由試驗結果決定是否應建議或不建議採用代禱活動.我們也不覺得應該再對此主題進行更多試驗,相關資源應投入其他議題.

翻譯人

本摘要由成功大學附設醫院尹子真翻譯

此翻譯計畫由臺灣國家衛生研究院(National Health Research Institutes, Taiwan)統籌

總結

以代禱舒緩疾病 很多人接受以代禱舒緩疾病和促進健康.很多信仰都有代禱,代禱指的是單人或群體約定時間向上帝(神明)請願,代替需要的人祈禱,通常採用傳統宗教儀式. 代禱是有組織的,定期且專門的.本回顧研究隨機對照試驗,評估代禱療效.我們找到10個試驗, 隨機分配超過7000位受試者於是否代禱兩組. 大部份試驗在健康結果變數方面,兩治療組都沒有顯著差異.

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