Methadone maintenance patients' use of spirituality as a coping strategy in treatment

Abstract

This study examined the potentially positive effects of the use of spirituality as a coping mechanism on treatment outcomes in a methadone maintenance treatment program in the South Bronx in New York City. The study also examined the types of coping patterns (emotional, spiritual, and cognitive focused) utilized by the patients enrolled in this program. A questionnaire was administered to 146 respondents. In addition, data on treatment outcomes was obtained from the case records maintained by the organization. Results indicated that the study respondents engaged in various patterns of coping when faced with a difficult situation. There were gender differences in the use of spiritual focused coping. This study's results indicated that there was a difference by educational status and ethnicity in the use of emotional focused coping and marital status in the use of cognitive focused coping. Level of spiritual orientation was not found to moderate the relationship between the patterns of coping and the number of positive treatment outcomes. There was limited support that the use of spiritual focused coping had a positive impact on the number of positive treatment outcomes.