Religion is Back
Belief, Behavior, and Belonging: How Faith is Indispensable in Preventing and Recovering from Substance Abuse
Journal of Religious Health, 2019
More than 84% of scientific studies show that faith is a positive factor in addiction prevention or recovery, and fewer than 2% show it to be a risk. The value of faith-oriented approaches to substance abuse prevention and recovery is indisputable. 73% of addiction treatment programs in the USA include a spirituality-based element, as embodied in the 12-step programs and fellowships initially popularized by Alcoholics Anonymous, the vast majority of which emphasize reliance on God or a Higher Power to stay sober. There are nearly 130,000 congregation-based substance abuse recovery support programs in the USA. This article reviews faith-based substance abuse treatment facilities, recovery programs, and support groups, and concludes that the decline in religious affiliation in the USA is not only a concern for religious organizations but constitutes a national health concern.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6759672/​​
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Adolescents
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There is a strong association between greater religiousness and lower rates of teenage substance use.
"Religion/Spirituality and adolescent psychiatric symptoms: a review." Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 2008.
Ninety-two percent of articles reviewed found at least one significant (p < .05) relationship between religiousness and better mental health. Evidence for relationships between greater religiousness and less psychopathology was strongest in the area of teenage substance use. Methods of measuring religion/spirituality were highly heterogeneous. Further research on the relationship of religion/spirituality to delinquency, depression, suicidality, and anxiety is warranted.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18219572/
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