Abstract

Background: Addiction is a multifaceted condition with various dimensions including biological, psychological, and social factors. Among these, religious and spiritual perspectives offer unique insights into the nature of addiction and its treatment. This scoping review aims to explore how different religious and spiritual perspectives address addiction and contribute to addiction treatment strategies.

Methods: We conducted a scoping review following the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. We searched databases including PubMed, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar for articles published between 2000 and 2023. The inclusion criteria focused on studies that examined religious or spiritual perspectives on addiction and its treatment. Data were extracted on study characteristics, religious/spiritual perspectives, and treatment approaches.

Results: A total of 45 studies were included. The majority of studies originated from Christian, Buddhist, and Islamic perspectives. Common themes included the role of faith in recovery, spiritual practices as therapeutic tools, and the integration of religious principles in treatment programs. Each perspective offered distinct approaches to understanding and managing addiction, emphasizing faith-based support, moral frameworks, and community involvement.

Conclusion: Religious and spiritual perspectives provide valuable insights into addiction and its treatment. While there is considerable variation across different faith traditions, commonalities include the emphasis on faith, community support, and moral regeneration. Future research should focus on comparative studies to better understand the effectiveness of these approaches and their integration into conventional treatment models.