Investigating the Effect of Quran Recitation on the Stress Levels of American Muslim Healthcare Students: A Pilot Study

Abstract

This study explores the effect of Quran recitation on the stress levels of pre- medical, pre-dental, and medical students and medical residents. The study used a randomized, waitlist-controlled, repeated-measures design over 4 weeks. Participants’ stress levels were tested at baseline, at the end of week 2, and at the end of week 4. The participants were recruited from all over the United States using social media pages and groups that were frequented by the intended audience. Due to the online nature of the study, time restrictions, and challenges with recruiting and retaining participants, the final sample size turned out to be much smaller than intended. The study showed that daily recitation of Surah Rahman resulted in a significant reduction in stress levels post- intervention. The stress levels lowered from moderate to low on average for both groups. Although none of the other tests reached statistical significance, most likely because of the low participation, the trends in results showed a potential impact of Quran recitation on the stress levels of the participants. Religiosity seemed to have a positive correlation with a decrease in stress. Recitation of Surah Rahman showed a dose- dependent reduction in stress levels. A majority of the participants reported that the recitation of the Qur'an during the 2 weeks of assigned reading felt personally meaningful; however, this did not translate into a greater reduction of stress. The study contributes to the growing body of literature on the relationship between faith and psychological well-being, with specific implications for the underserved Muslim American healthcare students population. While the study had several limitations, it offers practical insights into how religious practices can help support Muslim Americans in high-pressure academic settings.