title: A retrospective case control study of alcohol relapse and spiritual growth.
abstract: In the context of an NIAAA/Fetzer Institute-funded study designed to look at the impact of spirituality in an inpatient alcohol treatment, this retrospective case control study investigated whether spiritual growth occurred during an inpatient phase of treatment for alcohol dependence, the degree to which spiritual gains (if noted) would be maintained at follow-up, and whether spiritual growth would be associated with follow-up sobriety. To accomplish this goal, thirty-six individuals who reported relapsing to alcohol at three-month follow-up were compared with thirty-six matched controls who reported abstinence at follow-up. Spiritual development and change was assessed via a set of six measures. Paired t-tests revealed that spiritual growth occurred across all measures during the treatment phase. Repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated that this growth was maintained at three-month follow-up. Two-way repeated measures ANOVA revealed that while non-relapsers maintained spiritual growth over the course of four weeks of treatment and in the three-month period following treatment, renewed alcohol use was associated with decreased spirituality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Thomas Jefferson University, 1021 South 21st Street, Philadelphia, PA 19146, USA. robert.sterling@jefferson.edu
authors.forename: Robert C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Sterling
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Weinstein
authors.forename: Diane
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Losardo
authors.forename: Kerry
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Raively
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.forename: Annemarie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Petrone
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gottheil
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D029181:Spirituality; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires