The present study focused on the roles of self-forgiveness and feeling divine forgiveness in mitigating the adverse effects of stress on substance use cravings in Trinidad and Tobago. We assessed 869 individuals (62 percent of whom were women) through self-report online questionnaires. A moderation analysis using the PROCESS macro and a bootstrapping strategy (N = 5000) revealed that greater levels of self-forgiveness weakened the positive relationship between stress and substance use cravings, though the relationship remained significant. This moderating effect was evident only when individuals reported high levels of feeling divine forgiveness. The findings suggest that both forms of forgiveness lessen the impact of stress on substance use cravings, highlighting their potential as protective factors and underscoring the importance of incorporating religious and spiritual dimensions into psychological education and intervention. However, the study’s cross-sectional nature makes it difficult to make causal inferences, indicating a need for longitudinal research.

The cultural discourse metaphors ‘doh beat up’ and ‘doh take it on’ in Trinidad and Tobago capture the local sentiments of releasing self-condemnation after experiencing failure, wrongdoing, or circumstances beyond one’s control. In this study, we examined the direct and indirect relationships between religious commitment, self-forgiveness, and self-condemnation. Data were collected using an online survey of 259 adults (M_age = 40; 76% female) living in Trinidad and Tobago. Path analyses showed that higher religious commitment was directly associated with lower levels of shame. Value reorientation self-forgiveness was associated with increased guilt and shame, while esteem restoration self-forgiveness was associated with reduced shame. Tests of indirect effects showed that religious commitment was indirectly associated with self-condemnation through self-forgiveness. Our findings suggest that religious commitment and self-forgiveness may play a protective role in relation to self-condemnation among Caribbean adults. Nevertheless, the cross-sectional design limits causal interpretation of these relationships.