Rechercher
Faith-Based Strategies
Initiatives that are delivered through or in partnership with faith communities and organisations. These approaches often draw on spiritual values, community networks, and pastoral support to promote wellbeing, prevent substance use, support recovery, and reduce stigma. Faith communities can play an important role in raising awareness, providing social support, facilitating referrals to professional services, and helping reintegrate individuals affected by substance use disorders. When combined with evidence-based practices and strong partnerships with health and social services, faith-based strategies can contribute meaningfully to comprehensive responses to substance use and related harms.
The Role of Faith Communities in Addressing Substance Use and Crime – Reading List (Part 2)
In this second reading list, we continue exploring the growing evidence on the role and contribution of faith communities and faith-based organisations in addressing substance use and crime, with a particular focus on treatment engagement...
Spirituality and Harmful or Hazardous Alcohol and Other Drug Use
This meta-analysis synthesises evidence from 55 longitudinal studies involving more than 540,000 participants to examine the relationship between spirituality and harmful or hazardous alcohol and other drug (AOD) use. The findings...
Association Between Religiosity and Spirituality and Cocaine Use: A Systematic Review
This systematic review examines the association between religiosity, spirituality, and cocaine use by analysing findings from 20 observational studies involving adults and adolescents. Most studies found that higher levels of religiosity...
During, After, or Both? Isolating the Effect of Religious Support on Recidivism During Reentry
This study examines how religious support during and after incarceration influences substance use and recidivism among people returning to the community. Using data from the Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Initiative, the authors...
Religion, Crime, and Criminal Justice
This chapter reviews the evidence on the relationship between religion, crime, and the criminal justice system. It highlights a growing body of research showing a consistent inverse association between religiosity and criminal behaviour...
Manual de la Pastoral Latinoamericana de Acompañamiento y Prevención de las Adicciones
Nos complace compartir el lanzamiento del Manual de Pastoral de Adicciones, una iniciativa desarrollada por la Pastoral Latinoamericana de las Adicciones (PLAPA) y el CELAM.
Este manual ofrece una guía pastoral para la prevención, el...
Protecting Youth from Mexican Drug Cartel Recruitment: The Prospects of Educational Interventions
This investigation considers the impact of Mexico’s War on Drugs since 2006 and the influence of widespread cartel networks on the youth population. As both victims and perpetrators of drug-related crime, the young individuals of Mexico are...
Recruitment of minors into organised crime
The recruitment of minors into serious and organised crime has increasingly become a tactic used by criminal networks to avoid detection, capture and prosecution. By using minors, the criminal networks increase the distance between the...
Faith-Based Interventions for Reducing Gang Violence in the Caribbean: Reflections from a Professor and a Priest
This book chapter explores the role of faith-based interventions in preventing and reducing gang violence in Trinidad and Tobago. Drawing on the experiences of a criminologist and a religious leader, it argues that gang violence should be...
The Association Between Religiosity and Substance Use Patterns Among Women Involved in the Criminal Justice System
This study explores the relationship between religiosity and substance use patterns among women involved in the criminal justice system. Using data from women participating in a drug court programme in the United States, the researchers...
Religiosity and crime: Evidence from a city-wide shock
This study examines the relationship between religiosity and crime using data from the 2015 visit of Pope Francis to Philadelphia. By analysing daily crime reports before, during, and after the visit, the researchers found a significant...
The Role of Faith Communities in Addressing Substance Use and Crime – Reading List (Part 1)
In this reading list, we provide resources exploring the role of faith communities and faith-based organisations in addressing substance use, crime, violence and related social harms. Faith-based strategies draw on spiritual values...
Innovation and Action: Youth Voices in SUD Prevention and Treatment in Africa
ISSUP Global presents a webinar on: Innovation and Action: Youth Voices in Substance Use Prevention and Treatment in Africa
Recovery Connections
Recovery Connections is a UK-based Lived Experience Recovery Organisation (LERO), a not-for-profit organisation that has developed a strong recovery community model beyond the treatment room. The work they do reflects a deeper understanding...
Understanding Youth Recovery
Recovery for youth differs from that of adults because, for most adults, recovery is about regaining stability and returning to a functional life. For youth, they are still developing and discovering themselves.
Law Enforcement and Prevention of Problem Behaviors: An Important Connection to Improve the Health and Safety of Our Communities
Why is the connection between law enforcement and prevention of problem behaviors such as substance use important? Perhaps it is Safety within our communities.
While law enforcement is responsible for enforcing laws and maintaining public...
Faith-Based Addiction Recovery
This article explores how faith-based recovery programs combine spiritual support with evidence-based addiction treatment to help people achieve and maintain recovery. These programs integrate religious beliefs and practices with services...
Spirituality and Harmful or Hazardous Alcohol and Other Drug Use
This meta-analysis reviewed 55 longitudinal studies involving more than 540,000 participants to examine the relationship between spirituality and harmful or hazardous alcohol and other drug use. The findings show that spiritual and...
The Role of Family Background in Adolescent Risky Behavior Development
This study examines the role of family background in the development of adolescent risk behavior using a sample of 614 secondary school students (mean age = 16.8). The results show that the quality of the parent-child relationship is a...
Addictology
Issue 1/2026
Our stories matter: A guide for publicly sharing lived and living experience of suicide
Every quote in this resource suite has been provided by a person with lived and living experience. We have drawn on this broad collection of unique insights to develop guidance resources that can support others who may want to share their...
