I say a little prayer for my singlehood: exploring the role of prayer for single adults’ mental health

Figures & data

Table 1. Sample characteristics of the total sample at time 1 and time 2 and as a function of attrition rate between time 1 and time 2.

		W1-W2 Attrition Comparisons
Variable	Total sample at T1 (N = 335)	Participants who were at T1 and T2 (n = 242)	Participants who were at T1 and dropped at T2 (n = 93)	Difference
Demographic variables
Age, years				p = .293
Range	19–51	19–51	19–49
M (SD)	32.47 (6.68)	32.23 (6.44)	33.09 (7.27)
Gender, n (%)				p = .516
Female	202 (60.30%)	147 (60.70%)	55 (59.10%)
Male	130 (38.80%)	92 (38.00%)	38 (40.90%)
Other	3 (0.90%)	3 (1.20%)	–
Place of residence, n (%)				p = .153
Village	27 (10.00%)	18 (7.40%)	9 (9.70%)
City <10, 000	7 (3.50%)	7 (2.90%)	–
City 11,000–50,000	30 (11.30%)	22 (9.10%)	8 (8.60%)
City 51,000–100,000	23 (7.30%)	17 (7.00%)	6 (6.50%)
City 101,000–499,000	71 (20.30%)	68 (24.40%)	13 (14.00%)
City >500,000	177 (47.70%)	120 (49.60%)	57 (61.30%)
Highest education, n (%)				p = .250
Primary education	3 (0.90%)	1 (0.40%)	2 (2.20%)
Lower secondary education	–	–	–
Vocational education	3 (0.90%)	3 (1.20%)	–
High school	58 (17.30%)	42 (17.40%)	16 (17.20%)
B.A. degree	53 (15.80%)	34 (14.00%)	19 (20.40%)
M.A. degree	199 (59.40%)	146 (60.30%)	53 (57.00%)
Ph.D. and higher	19 (5.70%)	16 (6.60%)	3 (3.20%)
Relationship status, n (%)				p = .049
Never-married	303 (90.40%)	226 (93.40%)	77 (82.80%)
Divorced	29 (8.70%)	15 (4.50%)	14 (15.10%)
Separated	2 (0.60%)	1 (0.40%)	1 (1.10%)
Widowed	1 (0.30%)	–	1 (1.10%)
Length of singlehood (in years), M (SD)	10.98 (11.49)	10.70 (11.16)	11.71 (12.36)	p = .473
Having children, n (%)				p = .001
Yes	25 (7.50%)	11 (4.50%)	14 (15.1%)
No	310 (92.50%)	231 (95.50%)	79 (84.90%)
Religious identity, n (%)				p = .709
Yes	171 (51.00%)	122 (50.40%)	49 (52.70%)
No	164 (49.00%)	120 (49.60%)	44 (47.30%)
Religion, n (%)				p = .487
Roman Catholic	148 (44.20%)	110 (45.50%)	38 (40.90%)
Protestant	4 (1.20%)	2 (0.80%)	2 (2.20%)
Baptist	2 (0.60%)	1 (0.40%)	1 (1.10%)
Lutheran	2 (0.60%)	1 (0.40%)	1 (1.10%)
Other protestant	1 (0.30%)	–	1 (1.10%)
Conservative Judaism	1 (0.30%)	1 (0.40%)	–
Buddhism	3 (0.90%)	1 (0.40%)	2 (2.20%)
Islam	1 (0.30%)	1 (0.40%)	–
New Age	1 (0.30%)	1 (0.40%)	–
Atheism	97 (29.00%)	72 (29.80%)	25 (26.90%)
Agnosticism	67 (20.00%)	48 (19.80%)	19 (20.40%)
Other	8 (2.40%)	4 (1.70%)	4 (4.30%)
Psychological variables
	M (SD)	M (SD)	M (SD)
Prayer
Adoration	1.77 (1.38)	1.78 (1.37)	1.73 (1.40)	p = .773
Confession	1.72 (1.28)	1.71 (1.29)	1.73 (1.27)	p = .914
Thanksgiving	1.89 (1.40)	1.87 (1.36)	1.94 (1.51)	p = .686
Supplication	1.94 (1.48)	1.93 (1.47)	1.99 (1.53)	p = .725
Reception	1.84 (1.29)	1.80 (1.22)	1.96 (1.46)	p = .292
Religious participation	1.67 (1.14)	1.68 (1.15)	1.64 (1.12)	p = .795
Anxiety	2.44 (0.89)	2.43 (0.88)	2.47 (0.92)	p = .756
Depression	2.40 (0.90)	2.38 (0.90)	2.44 (0.89)	p = .593
Emotional well-being	3.39 (1.20)	3.39 (1.25)	3.42 (1.07)	p = .840
Psychological well-being	3.58 (1.25)	3.57 (1.26)	3.61 (1.121	p = .790

Table 2. Descriptive Statistics of major study variables at time 1 and time 2.

Variable	McDonald ω	Test-retest stability	Total sample NT1 = 355 NT2 = 242	Religious followers NT1 = 171 NT2 = 122	Nonreligious followers NT1 = 164 NT2 = 120	F	η^2
Prayer			M (SD)	M (SD)	M (SD)
Adoration	.97 .95	.76***	1.77 (1.38) 1.77 (1.40)	2.45 (1.63) 2.45 (1.66)	1.05 (0.32) 1.06 (0.37)	118.04*** 83.64***	.26 .26
Confession	.96 .93	.73***	1.72 (1.28) 1.73 (1.26)	2.37 (1.52) 2.38 (1.47)	1.03 (0.19) 1.08 (0.42)	125.74*** 86.46***	.27 .27
Thanksgiving	.94 .90	.72***	1.89 (1.40) 1.87 (1.37)	2.59 (1.54) 2.63 (1.53)	1.16 (0.72) 1.10 (0.49)	117.60*** 109.41***	.26 .31
Supplication	.93 .92	.70***	1.94 (1.48) 1.92 (1.46)	2.72 (1.61) 2.73 (1.64)	1.14 (0.71) 1.09 (0.49)	133.01*** 109.34***	.29 .31
Reception	.90 .82	.67***	1.84 (1.29) 1.83 (1.35)	2.47 (1.40) 2.52 (1.53)	1.19 (0.75) 1.12 (0.57)	108.64*** 88.59***	.25 .27
Religious participation	– –	.93***	1.67 (1.14) 1.63 (1.10)	2.28 (1.34) 2.23 (1.29)	1.02 (0.16) 1.04 (0.22)	144.69*** 97.56***	.31 .30
Anxiety	.87 .86	.54***	2.44 (0.89) 2.35 (0.94)	2.47 (0.89) 2.44 (1.02)	2.42 (0.89) 2.25 (0.84)	0.26 2.56	.00 .01
Depression	.85 .86	.51***	2.40 (0.90) 2.31 (0.96)	2.42 (0.88) 2.40 (1.05)	2.38 (0.92) 2.21 (0.87)	0.12 2.44	.00 .01
Emotional well-being	.91 .93	.69***	3.40 (1.20) 3.50 (1.27)	3.42 (1.24) 3.53 (1.33)	3.38 (1.16) 3.46 (1.21)	0.11 0.18	.00 .00
Psychological well-being	.91 .92	.73***	3.58 (1.25) 3.52 (1.29)	3.62 (1.23) 3.54 (1.32)	3.55 (1.26) 3.51 (1.27)	0.30 0.04	.00 .00

Note. The top rows contain the results from Time 1 (T1), while the bottom rows contain the results from Time 2 (T2).

***p < .001.

Table 3. Differences in five forms of prayer, anxiety, depression, emotional and psychological well-being between time 1 and time 2.

	Time 1		Time 2
	M	SD	M	SD	t (df)	p-value	Cohen’s d
Adoration	1.78	1.37	1.77	1.40	0.11 (241)	.911	.01
Confession	1.71	1.29	1.73	1.26	−.037 (241)	.714	−.02
Thanksgiving	1.87	1.36	1.87	1.37	0.00 (241)	1.00	.00
Supplication	1.93	1.47	1.92	1.46	0.11 (241)	.910	.01
Reception	1.80	1.22	1.83	1.35	−0.41 (241)	.684	−.03
Anxiety	2.43	0.94	2.35	0.90	1.54 (241)	.124	.10
Depression	2.38	0.90	2.31	0.96	1.29 (241)	.200	.08
Emotional well-being	3.39	1.25	3.50	1.27	−1.70 (241)	.091	−.11
Psychological well-being	3.57	1.26	3.52	1.29	0.83 (241)	.406	.05

Note. N = 242. p-value (two-tailed).

Figure 1. Prayer as a moderator in changes in emotional and psychological well being and anxiety between time and time 2 in samples of single religious and nonreligious followers.

Note. Figures A,B,C and D present the results for religious followers, whereas Figure E presents the results for nonreligious followers.

Table 4. Prayer as a moderator in changes in anxiety, depression, emotional and psychological well-being between time 1 and time 2 in a sample of single religious followers.

	Anxiety				Depression				Emotional well-being				Psychological well-being
Types of prayer	F	R^2	B	t (df = 120)	F	R^2	B	t (df = 120)	F	R^2	B	t (df = 120)	F	R^2	B	t (df = 120)
Adoration	0.78	.01	0.15	0.88	0.06	.01	−0.04	−0.25	1.48	.01	0.23	1.22	1.28	.01	0.21	1.13
Confession	0.02	.01	0.02	0.13	0.01	.00	0.01	0.06	5.96*	.05*	0.45*	2.44*	6.45*	.05*	0.46*	2.54*
Thanksgiving	0.23	.01	0.08	0.48	0.01	.00	0.01	.08	4.73*	.04*	0.43*	2.17*	3.78	.03	0.37	1.94
Supplication	1.12	.01	0.19	1.06	0.02	.01	−0.03	−.15	3.65	.03	0.38	1.91	3.17	.03	0.35	1.78
Reception	0.23	.02	0.08	0.48	0.09	.01	0.05	.30	4.16*	.03*	0.40*	2.04*	3.27	.03	0.35	1.81

Note. N = 171 at Time 1. N = 122 at Time 2.

*p < .05.

Table 5. Prayer as a moderator in changes in anxiety, depression, emotional and psychological well-being between time 1 and time 2 in a sample of single nonreligious followers.

	Anxiety				Depression				Emotional well-being				Psychological well-being
Types of prayer	F	R^2	β	t (df = 118)	F	R^2	β	t (df = 118)	F	R^2	β	t (df = 118)	F	R^2	β	t (df = 118)
Adoration	6.04*	.05*	−1.21*	−2.46*	3.26	.03	−1.02	−1.81	.15	.01	−0.22	−.39	.40	.01	0.33	.64
Confession	3.11	.03	−0.63	−1.76	.70	.01	−0.34	.84	.96	.09	−0.40	−.98	.19	.01	−0.16	−.44
Thanksgiving	1.59	.01	−0.40	−1.26	.23	.01	−0.17	−.48	.16	.01	−0.14	−.40	.12	.03	−0.11	−.35
Supplication	3.34	.03	−0.71	−1.83	1.73	.01	−0.58	−1.32	.12	.01	−0.16	−.35	.01	.01	−0.03	−.07
Reception	1.76	.01	−0.34	−1.33	.19	.01	0.12	.43	.89	.01	−0.27	−.94	.15	.01	−0.10	−.38

Note. N = 164 at Time 1. N = 120 at Time 2.

*p < .05.

Data availability statement

The dataset generated and analysed in the study is publicly available on the Open Science Framework at https://osf.io/3kv6h/?view_only=4848a7ba754b4ea98d0832a1723e1c16.