From Defiance to Reliance: Conduct Disorder, Spiritual Virtue, and Adolescent Addiction Recovery

• In Event: Predicting and Explaining Drug Use

Abstract

“Spiritual virtues” such as helping others and the experience of divine love have been associated with improved sobriety and character development, as well as reduced recidivism. But little is known about how conduct disorder and other co-morbid conditions, including a series of defiant behaviors, might affect this association. This study examined relationships among these disorders, service to others, the experience of divine love, and a specific type of character development thought to be essential for recovery: humility. One hundred ninety-five adolescents with substance dependency court-referred to residential treatment were assessed at intake, discharge, and 12 months post-treatment. Higher service to others predicted reduced relapse and greater humility, with or without the experience of divine love. Defiance was associated with higher incarceration, but the combination of service and divine love predicted lower incarceration and mediated the impact of defiance. Survival analysis demonstrated that youths with low service, with or without high divine love, were more likely to relapse than high helpers with high love. Greater attention to spiritual virtues might improve treatment for youths, even for those engaged in defiance with other co-morbid disorders. For defiant youths, the scriptural verse “faith without works is dead” has special relevance for incarceration.

Authors

• Matthew Lee, University of Akron

• Pagano Maria, Case Western Reserve University

• Byron Johnson, Baylor University