{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,28]],"date-time":"2026-03-28T13:13:16Z","timestamp":1774703596082,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":41,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2016,1,21]],"date-time":"2016-01-21T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1453334400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Religions"],"abstract":"<jats:p>There is increasing interest regarding prayer in healthcare. Prayer is an activity related to spirituality and religion. Positive outcomes have been identified regarding spirituality in health. This study aims to investigate the effects on patients\u2019 health of using prayer. A systematic literature review was conducted in May 2015 and updated in November 2015. Electronic and international databases were searched and the inclusion criteria were based on PICOS: (Population) patients of any age and any clinical situation, (Intervention) all types of prayer, (Comparison) ordinary care, (Outcomes) any health change, (Study type) randomized clinical trials. Neither timeframe nor limitation in language were considered. A total of 92 papers were identified and 12 were included in the review. Prayer was considered a positive factor in seven studies, and several positive effects of prayer on health were identified: reducing the anxiety of mothers of children with cancer; reducing the level of concern of the participants who believe in a solution to their problem; and providing for the improved physical functioning of patients who believe in prayer. Prayer is a non-pharmacological intervention and resource, and should be included in the nursing holistic care aimed at patients\u2019 well-being.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/rel7010011","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2016,1,22]],"date-time":"2016-01-22T11:36:13Z","timestamp":1453462573000},"page":"11","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":51,"title":["The Effect of Prayer on Patients\u2019 Health: Systematic Literature Review"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"7","author":[{"given":"Talita","family":"Sim\u00e3o","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Ribeir\u00e3o Preto College of Nursing\u2014EERP-USP, University of S\u00e3o Paulo, S\u00e3o Paulo, Brazil"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9804-2297","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"S\u00edlvia","family":"Caldeira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Nursing, Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Health, Institute of Health Sciences, Universidade Cat\u00f3lica Portuguesa, Palma de Cima, 1649-023 Lisboa, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Emilia","family":"De Carvalho","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Ribeir\u00e3o Preto College of Nursing\u2014EERP-USP, University of S\u00e3o Paulo, S\u00e3o Paulo, Brazil"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2016,1,21]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"World Health Organization (1998). 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