Spirituality, Religiosity and Depressive Symptoms Among Individuals in Substance-Abuse Treatment

Abstract

The study aims to examine the relationship between spirituality and religiosity, and depressive symptoms among 111 individuals undergoing inpatient substance-abuse treatment. Findings indicated that both dimensions of spirituality, the existential aspect and the relationship with God aspect, were significant predictors of depressive symptoms. The existential dimension of spirituality was inversely related to depressive symptoms, and the relatedness to God was positively related to depressive symptoms. Alternative theoretical explanations based on attachment theory are presented to interpret the unexpected positive relationship between individuals' perceived relationship with God and depressive symptoms. Gender was also a significant predictor of depressive symptoms, whereby females were more likely to report higher depressive symptomatology than males. It is important that mental health professionals consider the implementation of spiritually based interventions to address depressive symptomatology in the field of addiction.

Keywords:

• spirituality
• religiosity
• depression
• substance abuse