A espiritualidade/religiosidade como fator de proteção contra o uso de substâncias psicoativas na adolescência

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the impact of spirituality and/or religiousness on the use of psychoactive substances in the adolescent population in both primary and secondary protection. Substance use, abuse or dependence cover interventions in a variety of areas: biological, psychic, social, and spiritual. Methods: Articles published in scientific databases between 2000 and 2015 were searched using the following keywords: adolescent, drug, substance abuse, spirituality, religious protection, religiousness. A total of 115 articles were retrieved from three databases (PubMed, BIREME, SciELO), and eight were selected taking into consideration the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results: The studies point in the same direction, in that both spirituality and religiousness are of great importance for adolescents in relation to psychoactive substance use, abuse, and dependence. In addition to the protective factors mentioned above, others were also observed: family, friends, social group, environment, resilience, information, and future perspectives. Conclusion: Spirituality signals a broad connection between the individual and their environment, aiming at the well-being and personal growth of both theperson and their peers. The control of religion and/or the experience of spirituality act directly protecting the youth against involvement with substance use, as a result of its relation with self-regulation, psychological and social factors, availability of information on substance dependence and its consequences, and good family structure. In this scenario, the need to develop public policies with this approach is highlighted.