Date

11-11-2026

Department

School of Behavioral Sciences

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD)

Chair

Brooke R. Snyder

Keywords

addiction recovery, substance use disorders, early addiction recovery, neurospirituality, spiritual connection, relational closeness, identity reconstruction, spiritual healing, emotional regulation, stress regulation, perceived stress, attachment theory, attachment to God, relational healing, self-reconnection, social connectedness, spirituality in addiction treatment, spiritually integrated treatment, residential addiction treatment, recovery identity, sense of belonging, neuroplasticity, mixed-methods research, phenomenology

Disciplines

Psychology

Abstract

Research is increasingly showing that addiction affects how people view themselves, others, God, and the future. Reclaiming connection, identity, purpose, and hope is now considered a vital aspect of recovery. The present convergent mixed-methods study examined spiritual, emotional, and relational healing during early addiction recovery and changes in spiritual connection, perceived stress, and closeness to God, self, and others. Eleven Hispanic/Latino men in a spiritually integrated residential program participated. Phenomenological interviews were used with pre- and post-assessment measures from the Daily Spiritual Experience Scale (DSES), Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10), and Inclusion of Other in the Self Scale (IOS). Thematic analysis, paired-sample tests, and exploratory correlations were used to assess qualitative and quantitative data, and joint displays and narrative weaving incorporated findings. Seven qualitative themes highlighted spiritual reconnection, emotional and cognitive healing, relational belonging, identity reconstruction, and newfound purpose, although recovery remained unfinished and required vigilance. Quantitative findings from the IOS showed a significant increase in closeness to self, while closeness to others also increased but did not reach statistical significance. Spiritual connection increased and stress diminished, although neither change was statistically significant. Integrated findings were consistent with a neurospiritual perspective of recovery as multidimensional restoration of belonging, emotional stability, identity, meaning, and hope, including self-reconnection as an early measurable process.

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