Presentation Title
The Role of Religion and Spirituality as Factors in Successful Recovery from Alcoholism for AA Members in Vermont
Abstract
This research project is an effort to learn more about the relationship between religion/spirituality, alcohol use, and recovery from alcoholism for those living in New England from survey data as well as personal accounts from recovering alcoholics in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). New England states (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont) comprise 6 of the 9 states in the 2010 National Alcohol Survey that show the lowest average rating of respondents saying religion is important to them (lowest religiosity rating). This makes studying how religion plays a role in the recovery experience of alcoholics in Burlington, VT an interesting case study to fill the gap in New England specific AA research. This topic is examined through the lenses of medical anthropology and statistics. It is a mixed methods study, first analyzing publicly available quantitative data from the 2010 National Alcohol Survey New England responses to gain an understanding of the relationship between religion variables and alcohol use in New England. The qualitative data will is gathered in the form of interviews of AA members in Burlington, VT that asked about the AA members’ relationships to religion/spirituality and whether and how it has impacted their recovery path from alcohol addiction. The conclusions drawn from this research can be used to better understand the relationship between religion/spirituality and recovery from alcoholism in New England.
Primary Faculty Mentor Name
Dr. Jeanne Shea
Secondary Mentor Name
Dr. Jeff Buzas
Status
Undergraduate
Student College
College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences
Program/Major
Statistics
Second Program/Major
Anthropology
Primary Research Category
Social Sciences
The Role of Religion and Spirituality as Factors in Successful Recovery from Alcoholism for AA Members in Vermont
This research project is an effort to learn more about the relationship between religion/spirituality, alcohol use, and recovery from alcoholism for those living in New England from survey data as well as personal accounts from recovering alcoholics in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). New England states (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont) comprise 6 of the 9 states in the 2010 National Alcohol Survey that show the lowest average rating of respondents saying religion is important to them (lowest religiosity rating). This makes studying how religion plays a role in the recovery experience of alcoholics in Burlington, VT an interesting case study to fill the gap in New England specific AA research. This topic is examined through the lenses of medical anthropology and statistics. It is a mixed methods study, first analyzing publicly available quantitative data from the 2010 National Alcohol Survey New England responses to gain an understanding of the relationship between religion variables and alcohol use in New England. The qualitative data will is gathered in the form of interviews of AA members in Burlington, VT that asked about the AA members’ relationships to religion/spirituality and whether and how it has impacted their recovery path from alcohol addiction. The conclusions drawn from this research can be used to better understand the relationship between religion/spirituality and recovery from alcoholism in New England.