“God Did for Me What I Couldn’t Do for Myself”: Understanding Religiosity, Spirituality, and Locus of Control Among Black Americans Who Use Opioids

Jasmine K. Jester; Valerie P.A. Verty; Candice N. Hargons; Shemeka Thorpe; Danelle Stevens-Watkins

doi:10.1007/s10943-025-02260-3

“God Did for Me What I Couldn’t Do for Myself”: Understanding Religiosity, Spirituality, and Locus of Control Among Black Americans Who Use Opioids

Jasmine K. Jester
, Valerie P.A. Verty
, Candice N. Hargons
, Shemeka Thorpe
, Danelle Stevens-Watkins

Producción científica: Article › revisión exhaustiva

Resumen

The present study explored how Black Americans who misuse opioids frame their views of spirituality/religion and locus of control (LOC). The current sample consisted of 39 Black adults residing in two urban cities in Kentucky and reported prescription opioid misuse. Using a locus of control theory as a framework, we qualitatively explored participants’ views of spirituality, religion, and opioid misuse. Structural-tabular thematic analysis (ST-TA) was used to analyze 39 interviews for three components of LOC: (1) external locus of control, (2) internal locus of control (ILC), and (3) mixed locus of control. Results indicated that participants’ religious/spiritual views shaped their beliefs related to LOC, opioid misuse, and drug recovery. Directions for future research and implications for clinicians are discussed.

Idioma original	English
Páginas (desde-hasta)	4803-4823
Número de páginas	21
Publicación	Journal of Religion and Health
Volumen	64
N.º	6
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-025-02260-3
Estado	Published - dic 2025

Nota bibliográfica

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2025.

Financiación

This research was supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA; R01DA049333; PI: Danelle Stevens-Watkins). The content of this manuscript is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

Financiadores

Número del financiador

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Author National Institute on Drug Abuse DA031791 Mark J Ferris National Institute on Drug Abuse DA006634 Mark J Ferris National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism AA026117 Mark J Ferris National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism AA028162 Elizabeth G Pitts National Institute of General Medical Sciences GM102773 Elizabeth G Pitts Peter McManus Charitable Trust Mark J Ferris National Institute on Drug Abuse

R01DA049333

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Nursing
Religious studies

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10.1007/s10943-025-02260-3

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title = "“God Did for Me What I Couldn{\textquoteright}t Do for Myself”: Understanding Religiosity, Spirituality, and Locus of Control Among Black Americans Who Use Opioids",

abstract = "The present study explored how Black Americans who misuse opioids frame their views of spirituality/religion and locus of control (LOC). The current sample consisted of 39 Black adults residing in two urban cities in Kentucky and reported prescription opioid misuse. Using a locus of control theory as a framework, we qualitatively explored participants{\textquoteright} views of spirituality, religion, and opioid misuse. Structural-tabular thematic analysis (ST-TA) was used to analyze 39 interviews for three components of LOC: (1) external locus of control, (2) internal locus of control (ILC), and (3) mixed locus of control. Results indicated that participants{\textquoteright} religious/spiritual views shaped their beliefs related to LOC, opioid misuse, and drug recovery. Directions for future research and implications for clinicians are discussed.",

keywords = "Black Americans, Locus of control, Opioid use, Religion, Spirituality",

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note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2025.",

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AU - Jester, Jasmine K.

AU - Verty, Valerie P.A.

AU - Hargons, Candice N.

AU - Thorpe, Shemeka

AU - Stevens-Watkins, Danelle

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2025.

PY - 2025/12

Y1 - 2025/12

N2 - The present study explored how Black Americans who misuse opioids frame their views of spirituality/religion and locus of control (LOC). The current sample consisted of 39 Black adults residing in two urban cities in Kentucky and reported prescription opioid misuse. Using a locus of control theory as a framework, we qualitatively explored participants’ views of spirituality, religion, and opioid misuse. Structural-tabular thematic analysis (ST-TA) was used to analyze 39 interviews for three components of LOC: (1) external locus of control, (2) internal locus of control (ILC), and (3) mixed locus of control. Results indicated that participants’ religious/spiritual views shaped their beliefs related to LOC, opioid misuse, and drug recovery. Directions for future research and implications for clinicians are discussed.

AB - The present study explored how Black Americans who misuse opioids frame their views of spirituality/religion and locus of control (LOC). The current sample consisted of 39 Black adults residing in two urban cities in Kentucky and reported prescription opioid misuse. Using a locus of control theory as a framework, we qualitatively explored participants’ views of spirituality, religion, and opioid misuse. Structural-tabular thematic analysis (ST-TA) was used to analyze 39 interviews for three components of LOC: (1) external locus of control, (2) internal locus of control (ILC), and (3) mixed locus of control. Results indicated that participants’ religious/spiritual views shaped their beliefs related to LOC, opioid misuse, and drug recovery. Directions for future research and implications for clinicians are discussed.

KW - Black Americans

KW - Locus of control

KW - Opioid use

KW - Religion

KW - Spirituality

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“God Did for Me What I Couldn’t Do for Myself”: Understanding Religiosity, Spirituality, and Locus of Control Among Black Americans Who Use Opioids

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ASJC Scopus subject areas

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