Religious and Spiritual Practices Among Home-less Urban American Indians and Alaska Natives with Severe Alcohol Problems

Am Indian Alsk Native Ment Health Res. 2017;24(3):39-62. doi: 10.5820/aian.2403.2017.39.

Abstract

Engagement in religious and spiritual practices may be protective for homeless individuals with alcohol-related problems. However, little is known in this regard for urban-dwelling American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) who have disproportionately high rates of homelessness and co-occurring alcohol use problems. Using secondary data from a nonrandomized controlled study testing a Housing First intervention, AI/AN participants (n = 52) and non-AI/AN participants (n = 82) were compared on demographic variables, alcohol use problems, religious affiliations, and religious/spiritual practices (importance, frequency, and type). AI/ANs who engaged in Native-specific independent spiritual practices had significantly lower alcohol use frequency in comparison to AI/ANs who did not.

Publication types

  • Controlled Clinical Trial

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Alaska Natives / ethnology*
  • Alcohol-Related Disorders / ethnology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Ill-Housed Persons / psychology*
  • Indians, North American / ethnology*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Religion and Psychology*
  • Urban Population*