The Role of Stakeholder Awareness and Spiritual Counseling in Addiction Prevention: A Qualitative Research

Abstract

This study aims to examine the awareness levels of key stakeholders-parents, teachers, psychological counsellors, and spiritual counsellors-in addiction prevention and to evaluate the role of spiritual counselling services within this context. The study recognises addiction as a multifaceted phenomenon encompassing biological, psychological, social, cultural, and spiritual dimensions. Within this scope, the research was conducted using a phenomenological design within the qualitative paradigm. In-depth semistructured interviews were carried out with sixteen participants, at least three from each stakeholder group, selected through purposive sampling. The data were analysed through thematic analysis to capture participants' lived experiences and perceptions. The findings revealed that stakeholders' levels of knowledge regarding the causes of addiction, risk factors, and preventive strategies varied considerably. Addiction was predominantly associated with difficulties in coping with stress, a sense of emptiness, a search for meaning, family communication problems, and environmental influences. Participants emphasised the significance of collaboration between families, schools, and spiritual counselling institutions in preventing addiction. The study concludes that spiritual counselling services may serve a complementary function by activating individuals' internal resources, fostering meaning, alleviating loneliness, and enhancing psychosocial resilience. However, it was also determined that a significant proportion of participants had limited knowledge of the concept of spiritual counselling, and that the service remains insufficiently recognised at the societal level. It is recommended that spiritual counselling services be made more accessible, systematically integrated with psychosocial support mechanisms, and supported by continuous training programmes for families and educators. Overall, the findings suggest that a holistic approach to combating addiction-integrating biopsychosocial and spiritual dimensions-is likely to produce more sustainable and long-term outcomes.