In Teens, Increased Spirituality Linked to Abstinence from Substance Abuse

Teens undergoing substance abuse treatment having increased spirituality show greater likelihood of abstinence

Teens undergoing substance abuse treatment having increased spirituality show greater likelihood of abstinence .

The study by researchers from The University of Akron, Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) and Baylor University - part of CWRU's "Project SOS" and "Helping Others Live Sober" research initiatives, two ongoing studies of adolescent addiction - explored changes in daily spiritual experiences of 195 substance-dependent adolescents, ages 14-18, who were court-referred for treatment at New Directions, the largest adolescent residential treatment facility in Northeast Ohio.

Teens With Late Bedtimes Have Lower Academic Performance
During the school year and schooldays that start early, teens with late bedtimes have lower academic performance and are at risk for later emotional distress.

New Directions provides a range of evidence-based therapies, including cognitive-behavioral therapy, motivational enhancement therapy, group therapies, and relapse prevention and aftercare.

New Directions uses the 12-step recovery program of Alcoholics Anonymous, which does not require participants to hold any particular religious beliefs.

Researchers measured "daily spiritual experiences" independently of "religious beliefs and behaviors."

Rising Pulse Rates Among Teens is a Cause of Worry
It is a well-known fact that teens of the present day are less fit and it comes as no surprise that some vital parameters such as the resting pulse rates among pre-teens in the U.K

Daily spiritual experiences are not bound to any particular religious tradition and include reported feelings of a divine presence, inner peace or harmony, and selflessness and benevolence toward others.

The researchers found that, on the "religious beliefs and behaviors" scale, adolescents reported a range of belief orientations at intake, including atheist, agnostic, unsure, non-denominational spiritual or denominational religious.

Teens in Treatment Look Towards Sobriety, Spirituality
Perhaps the flesh is not so weak, after all, if the spirit is truly willing.

The researchers also found that most of the adolescents, regardless of their religious background or denomination, reported having more daily spiritual experiences by the end of the two month treatment period.

The study, funded by the John Templeton Foundation, is the first to include detailed measures of both spirituality and religiosity as independent variables at baseline and over the course of treatment, while controlling for background characteristics and clinical severity, says Co-Investigator Dr. Matthew T. Lee, professor and chair of sociology at The University of Akron.

Source-ANI