Dimensions of Religious Involvement and Mental Health Outcomes Among Alcohol- and Drug-Dependent Women

SUMMARY

The current study examined ties between religious variables and mental health in a high-risk population: lower-income chemically dependent pregnant or parenting women participating in a residential treatment program. The primary goal of the study was to investigate the relationship between various facets of religiousness and mental health symptoms, including depression and post-traumatic stress. Negative religious coping was associated with greater PTSD symptoms, greater depressive symptoms, and greater syndromal depression after controlling for background demographic and addiction variables. Other aspects of religiousness, including positive coping and involvement with organized religion, were not associated with mental health outcomes. These results suggest that negative aspects of religiousness, particularly religious struggle, merit greater attention from clinicians and investigators.

Key Words:

• Spirituality
• maternal
• substance abuse
• depression
• post-traumatic stress disorder