Investigating the relationship between attachment styles and addiction severity

Introduction: The results of some studies show that personality patterns in response to stressful stimuli play an important role in the possibility of developing psychological trauma. The present study investigates the relationship between attachment styles and severity of addiction in patients referred to drug rehabilitation center of Dr. Ali Shariati Hospital Fasa in 2016. Method: In this cross-sectional study, by using random sampling method, 150 of those addicts who had referred to drug rehabilitation centers of Shariati Hospital were selected. Therefore, Collins and Read’s standard questionnaire of attachment styles and addiction severity index (ASI) were used to collect data. Data were analyzed with SPSS software version 19, using descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation) and inferential statistics (correlation coefficient and ANOVA). Results: The mean age of subjects was 33.14 ± 2.49 years, and all of them were men. Sixty percent (n = 90) were married and 40% (60 patients) were single. The results of this study showed that the type of drug used by participants is different and most of them use opiates. There was a significant relationship between insecure anxious and ambivalent attachment styles and severity of addiction (p = 0.001). Conclusion: Most addicts have insecure attachment styles including ambivalence and avoidant style. Also, people who have insecure attachment styles, have a more severe addiction. Therefore, it is suggested to the authorities to hold some classes and workshops to increase the awareness of families on the impact of attachment styles on psychological characteristics of individuals, such as addiction.