Religiosity and hazardous substance use: The moderating role of trauma‐related shame

Background and Objectives Hazardous substance use is a major public health concern among individuals with a history of sexual victimization. Although increased religiosity has been known to serve as a protective factor against hazardous substance use, religious individuals with a history of sexual v...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The American journal on addictions 2023-05, Vol.32 (3), p.274-282
Main Authors: Channell, Isabella, Thomas, Emmanuel D., Forkus, Shannon R., Salvatore, Gianna, Vieira, Monica, Weiss, Nicole H.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adaptation, Psychological
Adult
Female
Hazardous Substances
Humans
Male
Religion
Sexual Behavior
Shame
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Summary:Background and Objectives Hazardous substance use is a major public health concern among individuals with a history of sexual victimization. Although increased religiosity has been known to serve as a protective factor against hazardous substance use, religious individuals with a history of sexual victimization may be at a greater risk for hazardous substance use due to difficulties reconciling sexual victimization with their religious beliefs. Individuals with greater trauma‐related shame may engage in hazardous substance use as a means of coping with the traumatic event. Method The present study consisted of 614 participants (Mage = 34.57, 50% women). Results Results suggested that organizational, nonorganizational, and intrinsic religiosity were positively associated with hazardous alcohol use at higher, but not lower, levels of trauma‐related shame. Organizational and intrinsic religiosity were positively associated with hazardous drug use at higher, but not lower, levels of trauma‐related shame. Conclusions and Scientific Significance This is the first study to examine the role of trauma‐related shame in the relationship between religiosity and hazardous substance use. The findings underline the importance of targeting trauma‐related shame in religious individuals with a history of sexual victimization.
ISSN:1055-0496
1521-0391
DOI:10.1111/ajad.13369