Religious and Spiritual Elements of Change in Sikh Men with Alcohol Problems

Abstract

The research presented aimed to explore and elucidate religious and spiritual elements involved in the change process for South Asian men overcoming alcohol problems. In-depth interviews with 15 Sikh men who had either accessed counselling services, and/or used religious/spiritual strategies to overcome an alcohol problem were carried out. A grounded theory approach was used to analyse the data. Change was seen to occur within a holistic framework, impacting on many levels of the person and their context. A model of behaviour change was developed identifying 3 phases of change labelled as catalyst, commitment, and maintenance within which specific religious and spiritual change processes took place. The findings have important implications for the provision of culturally appropriate alcohol treatment services

Key Words:

• Alcohol problems
• behaviour change
• religion
• spirituality
• Sikh