Comparing Religious Orientation and Perception of God in Addicts and Non-Addicts

Abstract

Background: Through destroying moral, human, and religious values, addiction estranges people from the transcendent human nature. Moreover, drug dependence replaces an addict’s healthy and genuine relationships with him/herself, his/her relatives, and God. In this regard, the present study aimed at comparing religious orientation and perception of God in addicts and non-addicts. Methods: This was a causal-comparative study. The statistical population included all self-introduced male and female addicts who referred to addiction treatment centers in Zahedan in 2015. In this study, 308 individuals (154 addicts and 154 non-addicts) were selected using convenience sampling method. To collect data, the religious orientation scale (Allport, 1950) and the perception of God index (Lawrence, 1997) were used. The obtained data were analyzed using the multivariate analysis of variance. Results: The results of data analysis revealed a significant difference between addicts and non-addicts in religious orientation, meaning that religious orientation was more extrinsic in addicts and more intrinsic in non-addicts. Additionally, the findings revealed a significant difference between the 2 groups with regard to the perception of God, such that the mean score of non-addicts was higher than that of the addicts. Conclusions: The intrinsic religiousness and positive perception of God protect people’s personality and human dignity; however, drugs deprive people from human personality, moral virtues, and self-esteem. Therefore, promoting and developing intrinsic religious values play a significant role in preventing addiction.