For generations, people have turned to faith, meditation, prayer and other spiritual practices in times of struggle.

Spirituality may do more than simply provide comfort, a recent study suggests. It can also reduce a person's risk of hazardous alcohol and drug use.

The study, led by researchers at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, found that individuals who engage in spiritual practices are significantly less likely to misuse alcohol, tobacco, marijuana or illicit drugs. The findings, published in JAMA Psychiatry, provide some of the strongest evidence to date that spirituality may play a protective role in substance use.

Any practice — religious or otherwise — through which individuals seek meaning, purpose and connection to something greater than themselves can help guard against substance abuse and be an avenue to better health.

The research, a meta-analysis, analyzed the results of 55 high-quality, longitudinal studies selected out of more than 20,000 spirituality and health studies conducted between 2000 and 2022, based on their large cohort sizes and follow-up over time.

Altogether, the studies included tracked more than half a million participants.

Unlike cross-sectional research, which is a snapshot of a single moment, longitudinal studies follow people across months or years, allowing researchers to assess how behaviors and outcomes unfold.

This meta-analysis, the first of its kind to comprehensively estimate the relationship between spirituality and hazardous substance use over time, revealed that broad spiritual practices were associated with a 13 percent reduced risk of dangerous alcohol and drug use.

Spirituality's protective effect was even stronger among people who attended religious services at least once a week. In that group, the risk reduction rose another 5 percent to 18 percent. The benefit was consistent across substances studies, including alcohol, tobacco, marijuana and illicit drugs.

The public health implications are significant. “Our findings indicate that spirituality may be protective against substance misuse, one of the biggest public health challenges of our time,” lead author Howard K. Koh, MD, MPH, the Harvey V. Fineberg Professor of the Practice of Public Health Leadership at Harvard, said in a media release. “For many individuals and families, using spirituality as a resource — whether that be attending religious services, meditating, praying, or seeking other forms of spiritual comfort — may be an avenue to enhance their health.”

The researchers defined spirituality broadly, rather than limiting it to organized religion. They included any practice — religious or otherwise — through which individuals seek meaning, purpose and connection to something greater than themselves. Some examples: participation in spiritual or religious communities, private prayers, meditation and other reflective practices.

“Meta-analyses of such longitudinal studies on spirituality and health are rare. This is a sort of once-in-a-decade advance,” Senior author Tyler J. VanderWeele, PhD, the John L. Loeb and Frances Lehman Loeb Professor of Epidemiology at Harvard, said. “The consistency of the results across all the studies was striking, with all but a few — including over a dozen studies conducted outside of the U.S. — showing a protective, not detrimental effect.”

Spirituality is not a substitute for medical care or addiction treatment. But it can be an accessible, deeply personal resource that strengthens resilience against substance abuse.

The consistency across countries and cultural contexts strengthens confidence in the findings. While the study does not prove that spirituality directly prevents substance misuse, the association remained robust across different populations and substances.

Why might spirituality offer protection? The researchers suggest several possible pathways. Spiritual practices may foster community connection, reduce loneliness, provide coping mechanisms during stress and reinforce norms that discourage harmful substance use. Feelings of meaning and purpose, often central to spiritual life, may also serve as a buffer against despair and, consequently, the risky behaviors to which people may turn to cope with those feelings.

The findings also have broader public health implications beyond individual choice. The authors note that clinicians could ask patients about the role of spirituality in their lives and, for those who find it meaningful, encourage engagement in supportive spiritual practices or communities. Public health organizations and faith-based groups might also collaborate to address drivers of substance misuse, such as isolation, stress and loss of purpose.

Substance misuse remains one of the most pressing public health challenges in the United States and worldwide. While prevention and treatment often focus on medications, counseling and policy intervention, this research suggests that spiritual well-being may be an underappreciated dimension of health.

Spirituality is not a substitute for medical care or addiction treatment. But for many people it can be an accessible and deeply personal resource, one that not only comforts the soul, but also strengthens resilience against harmful substance abuse.