ATTACHMENT STYLES & SUSCEPTIBILITY TO ADDICTIONS AND OTHER MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS

Abstract

Attachment is a complex system that provides the proximity and care necessary for the child’s survival and fulfills the child’s innate need for safety. From the earliest interactions when parents (attachment figures) comfort the child when she/he feels in danger, each new experience helps her/him to develop secure attachment, and thus the child learns to regulate his emotions and acquire strategies to cope with fear or suffering. If an insecure attachment style (preoccupied/avoidant/disorganized) is acquired, in adulthood people may face difficulties in regulating emotions and stress or may have difficulties in establishing and maintaining relationships. Empirical evidence from cross-sectional, longitudinal and review studies support the assumption that insecure attachment is a risk factor for addictions, but also for other psychopathological disorders. There is growing evidence that addictive disorders can be viewed as a possible expression of an attachment disorder, and the development of secure attachment can lead to better results in the prevention and early interventions of drug-related disorders. Recommended interventions include efficient parenting styles (authoritative/ permissive) training for parents, strengthening the parent-child relationship, ameliorating psychological dysregulation in mid-adolescence, developing adolescents’ abilities to self-regulate emotions and to resist to peer pressure.