A study published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry has found that a person's spiritual belief or a steady religious practice can have a protective effect from addiction. The analysis, which included 55 studies involving over a half-million people, found that those with a religious practice were less likely to have a harmful relationship with alcohol, drugs or cigarettes. Those with a connection to a higher power also had more success recovering from addiction, according to the study. The study also found that more than half of African Americans reported their spirituality or religion "made all the difference" in their recovery rate, which was two-to threefold more than that of White people. However, the study did not specify which religious practice was more protective against addiction.