Exploring the Relationships between Spirituality and Personality Disorder Traits among a Sample of In-Patients in Treatment for Substance Use Disorder

Personality disorders (PD) complicate the treatment of individuals with substance use disorders. Spirituality has been shown to be a protective factor in the treatment of addiction but very little research has explored how spirituality may differ among individuals in treatment for substance use issues who present with clinical and non-clinical levels of PD traits. This study examined the relationship between spirituality and PD traits among 305 clients recruited from a residential substance abuse treatment center. Results indicated that the existential well-being dimension of spirituality was a statistically significant predictor of most PD trait levels. In addition, the religious well-being dimension was a statistically significant predictor of Narcissistic traits. However, the clinical significance of these results may be limited due to the relatively low amount of variance in PD trait levels explained by the spirituality dimensions. Clinical implications for the treatment of individuals experiencing comorbid PDs and substance use disorders were discussed highlighting the potential benefit of focusing on therapeutic techniques that would help these clients develop existential well-being in their lives rather than a relationship with a Higher Power.