Forgiveness Dynamics in Recovery: The Interplay of Offender Type, Social Desirability, and Psychological Well-Being...

Forgiveness is increasingly recognized as a therapeutic resource in addiction recovery, yet its dynamics within family contexts remain complex. This cross-sectional study examined forgiveness among 79 men in recovery in a therapeutic community in Israel, comparing those who identified a family member versus a non-family member as the offender, and exploring associations with social desirability and psychological well-being. The response rate was 97.5%. Participants offended by family member reported significantly higher overall, affective, and behavioral forgiveness, as well as higher social desirability, than those offended by non-family members. However, the groups did not differ in anger, anxiety, depression, hope, empathy, or self-esteem. Across the entire sample, higher forgiveness, regardless of offender type, was associated with lower anger and anxiety and with higher self-esteem and empathy. These findings suggest that forgiveness is broadly associated with adaptive functioning in recovery. At the same time, elevated forgiveness toward family members, unaccompanied by superior psychological well-being, allows for two interpretations: it may reflect culturally shaped "pseudo-forgiveness" driven by normative pressure, or it may represent an authentic value-based commitment within a tradition that sanctifies family bonds. Clinically, the results highlight the importance of assessing not only declared forgiveness but also accompanying emotional states when working with individuals in recovery.