Spirituality, Religiosity, Depression and Anxiety in Opioid Addiction

Abstract

(41st Biennial Convention) Background and Significance: The United Nations General Assembly relates concern about substance abuse around the world. Substance abuse often leads to addiction, and is damaging to the health of persons, families, and society. Opioid addiction therapy includes substituting methadone the drug of addiction. Addiction frequently presents with coexisting depression and/or anxiety adding to poor health. Despite spirituality being identified as a factor in recovery it is often a neglected topic and studies have not examined the relationship among spirituality, depression, and anxiety. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the relationships among spirituality religiosity, depression, and anxiety in persons addicted to opioids.� Sample: A convenience sample of 108 English-speaking patients who were receiving prescription methadone at an outpatient clinic. Methods: Neuman's Systems Model provided the framework for this descriptive and cross-sectional correlational study of associations among spirituality, religiosity, depression, anxiety, and drug use consequences. Questionnaires examined spiritual well-being (SWB), religious behavior, anxiety, depression, and drug use consequences. Data were collected on demographics, drug abuse and spiritual history, and Illicit drug urine testing. Descriptive statistics examined the correlations among the study variables and regression models examined associations with negative consequences of drug use. Results: The SWB scale mean (86.7) was not significantly different than the mean found in similar groups (85.7, t(107)=0.624, p=0.534). Spiritual well-being had a significant inverse correlation to both the depression (r=-0.47, p<0.01) and anxiety (r=-0.46, p<0.01) measures. Existential well-being had a significant inverse correlation (r=-.022, p<0.05) to negative consequences of drug use. Spirituality, religiosity, anxiety and depression accounted for 20.3% of the variance in negative drug use consequences (R2=0.203, F(4,103)=6.57, p<.001). Conclusions & Implications: Spirituality, religiosity, depression, anxiety, and negative drug use consequences are interrelated in the person with addiction. Further understanding of spirituality in addiction is needed to deliver holistic care.