The Relationship Between Spirituality and Aggression in a Sample of Men in Residential Substance Use Treatment

Excerpt

It is well documented that men with substance use problems, including those in treatment for a substance use disorder, are at increased risk for aggressive behavior (Hoaken and Stewart 2003). Part of the reason for this increased risk for aggressive behavior likely stems from substance use temporally preceding and increasing the risk for violence (Mulvey et al. 2006; Stuart et al. 2013; Shorey et al. 2014), since substance use affects information processing capabilities and reduces the ability to respond to conflictual situations non-aggressively (Giancola et al. 2010; Steele and Josephs 1990). Further supporting the link between substance use and aggression, research shows that treatment for substance use results in reduced aggressive behavior following treatment (Stuart et al. 2009), with relapse to substance use increasing aggressive behavior (O’Farrell et al. 2004). However, not all violence is preceded by substance use (Giancola et al. 2010), even among individuals in substance use treatment. Thus, the examination of risk and protective factors for aggression among men in substance use treatment is an important area of investigation. Research in this area could potentially inform substance use treatment programs on treatment targets that could help to reduce aggressive behavior. One potential protective factor for aggression among men in substance use treatment, which has received extensive attention within the substance use literature, but minimal attention with aggression, is spirituality. …