Primal world beliefs support substance use disorder recovery: Impact on recovery capital and spirituality

Abstract

While research has shown self-beliefs influence recovery from substance use disorder, beliefs about the external world may also be important when considering recovery capital, or the sum of resources an individual can draw upon to sustain their recovery. Rooted in key concepts of positive psychology and community psychology, recovery capital offers an asset-based framework for understanding recovery as a process of growth to achieve flourishing. This study investigates the role of primal world beliefs, a taxonomy of fundamental beliefs about the world, as they relate to recovery capital in individuals recovering from substance use disorder. Primal world beliefs, also originating in the positive psychological tradition, offer a way to examine how beliefs about the world shape access to recovery-supportive resources. Utilizing a sample of Oxford House, Inc. employees (Baseline n = 132), this 6-month study assessed whether Safe, Enticing, and Alive primal world beliefs influence recovery capital. The findings reveal that Safe and Enticing world beliefs are associated with higher recovery capital, with Enticing world belief showing a stronger association. Additionally, the Alive world belief was found to moderate the relationship between spirituality and recovery capital. These results suggest that primal world beliefs shape perceptions of available recovery resources, with the Enticing belief emerging as a critical factor. This study contributes to the understanding of recovery by highlighting the role of beliefs about the world in accumulating resources essential for recovery, offering potential avenues for understanding the mechanisms underlying community-based substance use disorder interventions.

Keywords: Beliefs; primal world beliefs; recovery; recovery capital; substance use disorder.