Effect of attachment styles, emotional regulation difficulty and mindful attention levels on treatment motivation in patients with substance use disorder

ABSTRACT

Objective: We aimed to investigate the relationship between treatment motivation and attachment styles, emotion regulation difficulties, mindful attention levels of patients diagnosed with Substance Use Disorders (SUD).

Methods: The descriptive and cross-sectional study population is comprised of 182 patients diagnosed with SUD. Experiences assessed according to the Close Relations Inventory II (ECRI-II), Difficulties in Emotional Regulation Scale (DERS), Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), and Treatment Motivations Questionnaire (TMQ) were used for data acquisition.

Results: There was a negative correlation between ECRI and TMQ total score mean (r: −0.26, p < .001). Although there was no significant relationship between MAAS and total TMQ, there was a positive correlation between MAAS and treatment confidence subscale of TMQ (0.15, p < .05). The increases in the total of the ECRI related to the increase in DERS, and this was indirectly related to the increase in the TMQ total.

Conclusion: Treatment motivation in patients with SUD is negatively correlated with avoidant attachment style and positively with anxious attachment style. As mindful attention increases, confidence in treatment increases. Insecure attachment related to the increase in difficulties in emotion regulation, and this was indirectly related to the increase in the treatment motivation.

KEYWORDS:

• Substance use disorder
• attachment styles
• difficulties in emotional regulation
• mindful attention
• treatment motivation
• experiences in close relations
• psychiatric nursing

Acknowledgments

All of the authors declare that they have all participated in the design, execution, and analysis of the paper, and that they have approved the final version. Additionally, there are no conflicts of interest in connection with this paper.