Review article
The role of therapeutic communities in the treatment of addiction: The example of the Pope John XXIII Community
Ivan Ćelić
orcid.org/0000-0001-5135-0519
; Vrapče psychiatry clinic, Medical school, University of Zagreb, Croatia
*
* Corresponding author.
Abstract
Therapeutic communities are a key form of long-term psychosocial treatment for individuals with substance use disorders. Italy is among the countries with the most developed therapeutic community networks, where various models, including spiritually-based ones, have proven highly effective. This article explores the therapeutic community model and its application in treating dual disorders (addiction and co-occurring mental disorders), emphasizing the humanistic and spiritual approach. Special attention is given to the Pope John XXIII Community (Comunità Papa Giovanni XXIII), which has been active in Croatia since the 1990s and currently operates four centers in Dalmatia. The community’s approach, based on Christian anthropology, shared living, and spiritual support, provides a holistic path to recovery, particularly for individuals marginalized by standard treatment systems.
Keywords
spirituality; addiction; recovery; therapeutic communities; the Pope John XXIII Community
Hrčak ID:
333816
URI
Publication date:
17.7.2025.
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