Guilt, Shame, and Depression in Clients in Recovery from Addiction

Abstract

Men and women in recovery from addiction were compared on levels of depression, guilt, and shame. The measurement of guilt included subscales of Survivor Guilt, Separation Guilt, Omnipotent Responsibility Guilt, Trait Guilt, State Guilt, and Adaptive Guilt. The sample included 75 men and 33 women in treatment in a residential treatment community. It was found that women were significantly higher than men in depression. The recovering subjects were compared to nonaddicted subjects and established norms, and it was found that the recovering people were higher on depression, shame, and the subscales of maladaptive guilt. Both men and women in recovery were significantly lower than norms in adaptive guilt.