Religious Beliefs May Help Adolescents Say No to DrugsAugust 28, 2000
Research Summary
A new study found that adolescents with strong religious beliefs are less likely to be involved in substance use and abuse, Reuters reported Aug. 23."Alcoholism, in addition to being a biological disorder, is a spiritual disorder,'' said lead author Dr. Lisa Miller. "Adolescents who claim to have a personal relationship with the Divine are only half as likely to become alcoholics or drug addicts, or for that matter even to try contraband drugs (marijuana and cocaine)."
She added, "This is particularly important because onset of alcoholism and drug addiction usually occurs in adolescents."
Miller and colleagues at Columbia University in New York analyzed survey data of 676 youth ages 15 to 19 to determine the relationship between their religiosity and substance use. The researchers found that adolescents with a higher degree of personal devotion, personal conservatism, and institutional conservatism were less likely to drink.
Furthermore, researchers determined that teenagers who had an active, personal relationship with a 'Higher Power' and were of a fundamentalist denomination were less likely to engage in marijuana or cocaine use.
"The findings show that a personal sense of spirituality helps adolescents avoid alcohol and drug use and abuse," said Miller. "Unlike adults in Alcoholics Anonymous, adolescents in this study were shown not to be helped by a rigid or forced adherence to religion."
She added, "Spirituality, whether within or without of religion, is the most central bearing in an adolescent's life. It cannot be ignored by parents, or the adolescent will go 'shopping' for meaning, communion and transcendence."
From their research, the study authors concluded that, "Adolescents at high risk (such as those already using substances) might be protected from substance dependence or abuse if they engage with a Higher Power or become involved in a religious community."
The study is published in the September issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
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