title: Therapeutic Effects of Islamic Intercessory Prayer on Warts.
abstract: The present study aimed to examine the therapeutic effects of Islamic intercessory prayer on warts. Forty-five participants who are mostly Muslims and infected with warts were randomized into three groups: Group-1 (uncertain, with intercessory prayer), Group-2 (uncertain, no intercessory prayer), and control group (informed, no intervention). Stress symptoms were also measured before and after prayer sessions for these three groups. The results revealed that there were no significant differences between the groups in terms of healing. Although participants believed in the therapeutic effects of prayer, when participants did not trust the intercessor, prayer had no effect on warts.
authors.affiliation: Department of Philosophy and Religious Sciences, Psychology of Religion, Faculty of Divinity, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey. evrenhosrik@hotmail.com.|Ankara Provincial Directorate of Family and Social Policies, Number: 70, Ulus/Ankara, Turkey. evrenhosrik@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Evren M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Hoşrik
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Kayseri Military Hospital, Kayseri, Turkey.
authors.forename: Aydın E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Cüceloğlu
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Turgut Özal Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Seval
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Erpolat
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D029221:Faith Healing / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007514:Islam / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012068:Religion and Medicine; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014860:Warts / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Intercessory prayer; Stress; Trust in intercessor; Warts