People who engage in spiritual practices such as praying, meditating, or attending religious services are significantly less likely to use alcohol or drugs, according to a
meta-analysis in
JAMA Psychiatry.
This effect was especially true for people who participate in a spiritual or religious community more than once a week.
Why It’s Relevant
An estimated
48.5 million U.S. individuals—16.7% of the population—have a diagnosable alcohol or drug use disorder, yet only about one-quarter of them received treatment in the past year. Plus, effective prevention often fails to reach those at risk. Spirituality may represent an additional avenue to lower substance use risk and improve chances for recovery.
By the Numbers
- The researchers analyzed 55 studies (encompassing 540,712 participants) that examined the longitudinal association between spirituality and the use of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, or illicit drugs.
- Individuals engaging in any spiritual practice had a 13% reduced risk of alcohol or drug use, with no significant difference across the drugs that were studied.
- Individuals who were regularly involved with a spiritual or religious community (defined as greater-than -weekly religious service attendance) had an 18% lower risk of alcohol or drug use.
- Subgroup analyses found that spiritual engagement was also associated with improved chances of recovery from alcohol or drug use disorders.
The Other Side
The studies analyzed varied in how they identified spirituality, and some practices important to people (such as immersion in nature) may not have been identified. Future studies should further explore possible causality and mechanisms, including how spirituality or religion mediates prevention and recovery across different drugs and populations.
Takeaway Message
The researchers suggested that clinicians and communities consider identifying spirituality as a component of drug use prevention and recovery. “Health professionals can consider, for example, asking patients, ‘Are religion or spirituality important to you in thinking about health and illness or at other times?’ and ‘Do you have, or would you like to have, someone to talk to about religious or spiritual matters?’”
Related Information
Source
Howard Koh, et al. Spirituality and harmful or hazardous alcohol and other drug use: a meta-analysis of longitudinal studies. JAMA Psychiatry. Published February 18, 2026. doi: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2025.4816.
(Image: Getty Images/iStock/Marc Dufresne)