Religion and Spirituality in Addiction Recovery

This scoping review examines the role of spirituality in substance use disorders across three interconnected areas: psychology, biology, and culture. It explores topics including spiritual awakening, the relationship between spirituality and drug craving, spirituality in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, and the psychological ways in which people understand substance use and recovery.

The review also considers biological research on spiritual experiences and brain processes, as well as cultural differences in how spirituality and religion relate to substance use and recovery. It highlights the potential role of spirituality in building recovery capital while also identifying important gaps in the evidence. The authors call for more rigorous research to better understand how spirituality could be appropriately incorporated into clinical care.