Meaning in Life in the Prevention and Treatment of Substance Use Disorders

Abstract

This study compared changes in levels of meaning in individuals receiving two different treatment modalities for substance use disorders (SUD), the El Colectivo Aqui y Ahora Foundation (CAYA), model and a 12-step therapeutic model that follows Alcoholics Anonymous/Narcotics Anonymous guidelines and which incorporates medication management. The hypothesis of the study was that for both groups statistically significant changes in meaning were going to be observed following treatment. Additionally, it was anticipated that individuals receiving the CAYA treatment model were going to report significantly greater changes in meaning when compared to individuals receiving a standard 12-step model of treatment. Results indicated that in both treatment conditions participants reported greater levels of meaning when compared to their baseline scores. Findings indicate that regardless of differences in these models of intervention, efforts to treat SUD are associated with improvements in perceived meaning in life. This hypothesis has also been supported in previous studies, in which changes in meaning were associated with improvements in SUD symptoms across distinct treatment approaches. Findings provide validation for Frankl's initial suggestion that meaning in life plays an important role in the recovery of substance use disorders. These results also suggest that interventions targeting symptoms of SUD are tapping, directly or indirectly, meaning-related issues. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved)