From Darkness to Light: Spiritual Turning Points in Recovery among Former Substance Users in Norway
Author photograph provided for this research feature.
Research spotlight
This Journal of Religion and Health paper explores how people understood spiritual turning points in their recovery journeys. Researchers examined qualitative interviews with 24 people who had completed Christian rehabilitation programs in Norway.
Participants described experiences of forgiveness, belonging, love, and renewed identity within faith-based communities. The authors discuss how spiritual care and shared meaning can intersect with psychological, relational, and everyday changes.
These accounts offer insight into participants’ experiences in a particular setting. They do not establish that a spiritual approach causes recovery or that the findings apply to everyone. Shared here as educational reading.
Read the original study
Marte Yri, Marianne Brattgjerd, Aleksander Koefoed · Journal of Religion and Health · Published June 8, 2026.
DOI: 10.1007/s10943-026-02695-2
Read the full open-access article on Springer Nature ↗
This feature is a brief, paraphrased overview of the original study. Original article license: CC BY 4.0.