Who benefits from Two Way Prayer Meditation? Treatment effect moderators in a pilot randomized controlled trial of a spiritual intervention for people with substance use disorders.

Two Way Prayer Meditation (TWPM) is a spiritual intervention that holds promise for improving the psychospiritual well-being of individuals in recovery from substance use disorders (SUD). This study aimed to identify moderators of TWPM's treatment effects. Moderators tested included gender, race/ethnicity, age, education, religious/spiritual affiliation, and most often used substance.

Efficacy of two-way prayer meditation in improving the psychospiritual well-being of people with substance use disorders: A pilot randomized controlled trial.

The study goal was to conduct a preliminary evaluation of a spiritual intervention called Two Way Prayer Meditation's (TWPM) effectiveness on the psychological distress, self-esteem, and spiritual well-being of people with substance use disorders. : This study employed a randomized controlled trial design with pretest and posttest. In total, 134 adults in four residential recovery programs participated in the study and were randomly assigned to either the TWPM group or the treatment as usual group.

Systematic assessment of culturally competent chemical dependence treatment services for African Americans.

This project aimed to develop a tool for assessing and planning culturally competent and relevant chemical dependence treatment services for African American clients and their families. Focus groups were conducted with experts in African American culture and chemical dependence in eight substance abuse programs serving adult and adolescent African Americans and their families. Seventy-five statements were developed describing characteristics of culturally competent and relevant organizations.

Assessing culturally competent chemical dependence treatment services for Mexican Americans.

Mexican Americans struggling with chemical dependence are greatly underserved. Barriers to treatment include language, lack of culturally relevant services, lack of trust in programs, uninviting environments, and limited use and linkage with cultural resources in the community. This project aimed to develop a tool for assessing and planning culturally competent/relevant chemical dependence treatment services for Mexican Americans.

Contrasting faith-based and traditional substance abuse treatment programs.

This article (a) discusses the definition of faith-based substance abuse treatment programs, (b) juxtaposes Durkheim's theory regarding religion with treatment process model to highlight key dimensions of faith-based and traditional programs, and (c) presents results from a study of seven programs to identify key program dimensions and to identify differences/similarities between program types. Focus group/Concept Mapping techniques yielded a clear "spiritual activities, beliefs, and rituals" dimension, rated as significantly more important to faith-based programs. Faith-based program staff also rated "structure and discipline" as more important and "work readiness" as less important.