Spirituality/religiosity promotes acceptance-based responding and 12-step involvement

Spirituality/religiosity promotes acceptance-based responding and 12-step involvement
Adam W. Carrico, Elizabeth V. Gifford, and Rudolf H. Moos
Drug and Alcohol Dependence 16 January 2007 online

Abstract
Background
Previous investigations have observed that spirituality/religiosity is associated with enhanced 12-step involvement. However, relatively few studies have attempted to examine the mechanisms for this effect. For the present investigation, we examined whether Acceptance-Based Responding – awareness or acknowledgement of internal experiences that allows one to consider and perform potentially adaptive responses – accounted for the effect spirituality/religiosity on 12-step self-help group involvement 2 years after a treatment episode.

Methods
Data were collected as part of a multi-site treatment outcome study with 3698 substance-dependent male veterans recruited at baseline. Assessments were conducted at baseline, discharge, 1-year follow-up, and 2-year follow-up. We utilized structural equation modeling to examine the relationships among latent variables of spirituality/religiosity, Acceptance-Based Responding , and 12-step involvement over time.

Results
In the final model, spirituality/religiosity was not directly related to 12-step involvement at 2-year follow-up. However, spirituality/religiosity predicted enhanced Acceptance-Based Responding at 1-year follow-up after accounting for discharge levels of Acceptance-Based Responding . In turn, Acceptance-Based Responding at 1-year follow-up predicted increased 12-step involvement at 2-year follow-up after accounting for discharge levels of 12-step involvement.

Conclusions
Spirituality/religiosity promotes the use of post-treatment self-regulation skills that, in turn, directly contribute to ongoing 12-step self-help group involvement.