The Therapeutic Effects of Salah on Depression and the Role of Artificial Intelligence Enhancement: A Meta-Analysis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63320/0d1tqy04Keywords:
salah, Artificial Intelligence, mentalhealth, spiritual intervention, depression, anxietyAbstract
Objective: To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of the therapeutic effects of Salah (Islamic prayer) on depression and assess how artificial intelligence (AI) technologies may facilitate these interventions.
Design: A systematic review and meta-analysis of quantitative studies that examined the relationship between the practice of Salah and depression, as well as examining AI-based interventions in spiritual treatment.
Data Sources: Searches of PubMed, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, IEEE Xplore, ACM Digital Library, and Islamic studies databases between January 2010 - December 2023.
Study Selection: Eligible studies examined the relationship between the practice of Salah and depression or depression symptoms, applied AI within a religious or spiritual context for mental health interventions, included quantitative outcome measures, involved Muslim participants, and were published in peer-reviewed journals.
Data Extraction: Two independent reviewers extracted relevant information pertaining to study characteristics, participant characteristics, intervention details, outcome measures, and effect sizes. Quality assessment was made using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale for the observational studies and the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool for randomized trials.
Data Synthesis: Random-effects meta-analyses were conducted to calculate pooled effect sizes. Heterogeneity was assessed using I² statistics. Subgroup analyses were performed based on study design, population characteristics, and intervention types.
Results: A total of 42 studies met inclusion criteria, encompassing 15,847 participants across 21 countries. Meta-analysis of 28 studies examining Salah-depression relationships revealed a significant pooled effect size (Cohen's d = -0.71, 95% CI: -0.89 to -0.53, p < 0.001) favoring regular Salah practice. Substantial heterogeneity was observed (I² = 78%). Fourteen studies investigating AI-enhanced interventions demonstrated moderate to large effect sizes (Cohen's d = 0.52 to 0.84) for improving both religious adherence and mental health outcomes.
Conclusions: Regular Salah practice is significantly associated with reduced depressive symptoms across diverse Muslim populations. AI technologies show promise for enhancing traditional Islamic spiritual practices and improving mental health outcomes.
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