Prayer, one of the most widespread religious practices, may work psychologically like human attachment bonds, which are strongly linked to mental health. This systematic review of 44 studies examined brain activity during Christian prayer and during activation of the attachment system in adults. Evidence showed convergence between prayer and neural areas involved in social cognition, specifically the default mode network and theory of mind regions. No significant differences emerged between prayer and attachment in brain regions linked to emotion regulation, but findings diverged for the aversion module, particularly in the insula. The shared cognitive and affective dimensions suggest prayer could be integrated into psychotherapy, though more research is needed.
Religious and spiritual struggles appear in distinct patterns across different psychiatric diagnoses. In a qualitative study of 34 patients in two clinical mental health care institutions, those with depression experienced isolation, guilt, and a lack of positive religious experiences. Patients with anxiety or cluster C disorders showed uncertainty toward God and reluctance to engage religiously. People with psychotic disorders had intense religious experiences but mistrusted health professionals and were reticent to share them. Bipolar patients struggled to interpret their experiences and felt both drawn to and distanced from religion.