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Recovery Dharma is a Buddhist-inspired mutual-aid recovery program for those with substance use disorders and behavioral addictions. The program combines meditation, emotion regulation techniques, literature, and Buddhist practices during meetings to help people achieve emotional balance and improve their well-being. Despite the growing popularity of Recovery Dharma, how the practices in this program predict recovery resources remain largely unknown. We conducted a study investigating whether mindfulness and difficulty regulating emotions can predict individuals' recovery capital - a construct strongly correlated with positive recovery outcomes. Recovery Dharma members (n = 122; 88% White; 45% women) completed two online surveys six months apart. We conducted hierarchical linear regressions and found that mindfulness predicted unique variability in recovery capital. However, our final model that included difficulty regulating emotions explained a significantly larger portion of variability above and beyond demographic variation and mindfulness. In an exploratory analysis, we found that difficulty regulating emotions predicted recovery capital as a unidimensional construct, not any particular subconstruct. The results suggested that Recovery Dharma members' emotion regulation skills were the strongest predictor of positive recovery outcomes, surpassing demographic characteristics and mindfulness. As such, the intentional cultivation and improvements in emotion regulation skills inherent in Buddhist practices within the Recovery Dharma framework may indicate positive long-term recovery outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spirituality is an important aspect of treatment and recovery for substance use disorders (SUDs), but ambiguities in measurement can make it difficult to incorporate as part of routine care. We evaluated the psychometric properties of an adapted short-form version of the Spirituality Scale (the Spirituality Scale–Short-Form; SS-SF) for use in SUD treatment settings. Participants were adult patients (N = 1,388; Mage = 41.23 years, SDage = 11.55; 68% male; 86% White) who entered a large, clinically mixed inpatient SUD treatment program. Factor analysis supported the two-dimensional structure, with factors representing Self-Discovery and Transcendent Connection. Tests of measurement invariance demonstrated that the scale was invariant across age and gender subgroups. The SS-SF exhibited convergent and concurrent validity via associations with participation in spiritual activities, hopefulness, life satisfaction, 12-step participation, and depressive symptoms. Finally, scores on the SS-SF were significantly higher at discharge compared to admission, demonstrating short-term sensitivity to change. These findings support use of the SS-SF as a concise, psychometrically sound measure of spirituality in the context of substance use treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of this research was to examine the psychometrics of a short form version of the multidimensional Involvement in Alcoholics Anonymous scale (IAA-SF) by assessing the factor structure, internal consistency, and predictive validity. While there are several existing measures of involvement in Alcoholics Anonymous, many are either unidimensional or are limited in their ability to gather variation in the level of involvement in the different dimensions of 12-step programs. Objective: To achieve our aim, we used exploratory and principal axis factor analysis, correlation, and logistic regression with two unique and diverse samples. Longitudinal data were collected from a northern Illinois sample of 110 post-treatment adults, and cross-sectional data were from a random sample of 296 recovery home residents in the United States. Results: Results from the first sample suggested three exploratory factors (Principles Involvement, Social Involvement, and Spiritual Involvement) that were concordant with the proposed conceptualization and were then confirmed in the second sample. A 2nd order factor of global involvement was also found. All subscales demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency and were moderately associated with AA affiliation. Global and social involvement predicted greater odds of abstinence 2 years later, but principles and spiritual involvement did not. Conclusion: Overall results suggest the IAA- SF is a valid and reliable 12-item instrument for assessing involvement in the AA program, and the differential prediction suggests potential utility for a multidimensional approach to 12-step involvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study is an exploration of Recovery Dharma (RD), an emerging Buddhist-based mutual help organization (MHO) for supporting recovery from addiction. In this article, we outline the history of RD and provide an overview of the MHO, characterize RD participants, and discuss similarities and differences between RD and other MHOs. Participants (N = 209) completed an online survey; findings illustrate unique aspects of RD, including a diverse sample with regard to sexual orientation and gender identification, and group-based meditation sessions. Participants reported high engagement in the MHO, with just under half reporting substance use as their primary issue while others indicated a concurrent issue as their primary concern. Two-thirds of RD members previously sought help in a 12-step MHO and half reported current 12-step MHO participation. We conclude with an overview of the similarities and differences between RD compared to other recovery MHOs, along with suggestions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recovery from substance use disorder is a complex process whereby an interplay of personal strengths, interpersonal relationships, and contextual factors come together to make recovery possible. New and emerging theories and definitions of recovery are prompting recovery-informed research that places a premium on operationalizing known features of the recovery process into new instruments and methods. We hypothesize that self-esteem plays a central role in the recovery process such that it may one day serve as a benchmark of recovery growth and progress. In this article, we use a secondary analysis of an existing dataset to examine self-esteem as a central intrapersonal variable in a sample of people in recovery from substance use disorder (N = 113) and identify correlates with psychological and personality factors associated with recovery. Our findings provide additional evidence that self-esteem, and correlates of self-esteem, may represent a bundle of intrapersonal psychosocial variables that should be considered as essential constructs within recovery-related research, therapeutic technique, and treatment outcome expectancies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People in 12-step addiction recovery programs who have difficulty with social relationships and intimacy may be less likely to flourish given the highly social nature of 12-step programs. Gratitude is widely known among 12-step program members as a tool that facilitates well-being; in the field of positive psychology, gratitude is known for its prosocial qualities, including the development and maintenance of social relationships. However, there has been little research on gratitude in recovery, and no research that looks at people's characteristic approach to closeness and intimacy (i.e. attachment style) and gratitude in recovery. In a sample of 184 members of 12-step addiction recovery programs (Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous) we examined whether people who were more grateful reported higher positive indicators of recovery (i.e. 12-step program practices, AA promises), and better general life outcomes (i.e. more post-traumatic growth and social support; less stress and health symptoms). We also investigated whether gratitude was more important for people in recovery who have higher attachment anxiety or attachment avoidance. In line with our predictions, we found that higher levels of gratitude were positively associated with 12-step practices, AA promises, post-traumatic growth, and social support; and negatively associated with stress and health symptoms. Further, we discovered that when people with higher attachment avoidance (but not anxiety) were also grateful, they reported better outcomes. Findings suggest that gratitude is an important factor in this population that warrants further exploration. Future research might benefit from longitudinal or experimental methods that examine whether gratitude is an antecedent to or a result of 12-step practices, AA promises, post-traumatic growth, and social support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the transition to parenthood, both men and women experience hormone changes that are thought to promote parental care. Yet very few studies have explicitly tested the hypothesis that prenatal hormone changes are associated with postpartum parenting behavior. In a longitudinal study of 27 first-time expectant couples, we assessed whether prenatal hormone changes were moderated by self- and partner-reported parenting outcomes at 3 months postpartum. Expectant fathers showed prenatal declines in testosterone and estradiol, and larger declines in these hormones were associated with greater contributions to household and infant care tasks postpartum. Women whose partners showed larger testosterone declines also reported receiving more support and more help with household tasks. Expectant mothers showed prenatal increases in testosterone and estradiol, and larger increases in these hormones were associated with lower partner-rated support. Together, our findings provide some of the first evidence that prenatal hormone changes may indeed be functional and that the implications of these changes may be detectable by co-parents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What makes low social status toxic to well-being? Tointernalizesocial status is to believe the self is responsible for it. We hypothesized that the more people internalize low subjective social status, the more their basic psychological needs are thwarted. Experiment 1 randomly assigned participants to imagine themselves in low, middle, or high social status, and assessed their subjective social status internalization by independent ratings. The more participants internalized low status, the more they reported their basic psychological needs were thwarted. This effect did not appear among their higher status counterparts. Experiment 2 replicated and extended these findings using a behavioral manipulation of subjective social status and a self-report measure of internalization. We discuss implications for basic and action research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Impulsivity is a multidimensional construct consistently associated with problematic substance use, but less is known about its relevance to clinical outcomes. The current study examined whether impulsivity changed over the course of addiction treatment and whether the changes were associated with changes in other clinical outcomes. Method: Participants were patients in a large inpatient addiction medicine program (N = 817; 71.40% male). Impulsivity was assessed using a self-report measure of delay discounting (i.e., overvaluation of smaller immediate rewards) and the UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale, a self-report measure of impulsive personality traits. Outcomes were psychiatric symptoms including depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder, and drug cravings. Results: Within-subjects analyses of variance revealed significant within-treatment changes in all UPPS-P sub-scales, all psychiatric indicators, and craving (ps < .005), but not delay discounting. Changes in all UPPS-P traits, except for sensation seeking, were significantly positively associated with changes in psychiatric symptoms and cravings over the course of treatment (ps < .01). Conclusions: These findings reveal that facets of impulsive personality change across addiction treatment and are generally related to positive changes in other clinically relevant outcomes. Evidence of change despite no explicit intervention targeting suggests that impulsive personality traits may be viable treatment targets in substance use disorder treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]