The Drug-User Husband and His Wife: Attachment Styles, Family Cohesion, and Adaptability

Abstract

This study which assesses the association between the attachment styles of drug-user husbands (n = 56) and their wives (n = 56) and their perceptions of family dynamics was conducted in 1998. The population study included heroin (52.9%) and multidrug detoxified outpatients. All subjects completed the Adult Attachment Style Scale and the FACES III. Results indicated that the perceptions of family adaptability and cohesion among the drug-user husbands and their wives did not differ from the Israeli norm. Most of the drug users (60.7%) were characterized by the avoidant attachment style, followed by the secure style (26.8%), and the anxious/ambivalent style (12.5%). Half the wives (53.6%) were characterized by the secure style, followed by the avoidant style (42.9%) and the anxious/ambivalent style (3.6%). A secure style in husband and wife was associated with higher levels of family cohesion and adaptability, and the anxious/ambivalent style with a lower perception of family cohesion and adaptability. These findings have important implications for rehabilitation prospects and for planning intervention programs.

• Drug users
• Family
• Attachment
• Attachment style
• Rehabilitation
• Family adaptability
• Family cohesion

Resumen

El estudio examina la relación entre los estilos de enlace de 56 maridos drogadictos y sus esposas y sus percepciones de dinámica familiar. La población del estudio, conducido en 1998, incluye drogadictos a la heroína (52.9%) y detoxificados de varias drogas. Todos los sujetos completaron el cuestionario Adult Attachment Style Scale (Estilo de Enlace de Adultos) y el FACES III. Los resultados indican que no hay diferencia entre las percepciones de adaptación familiar entre parejas de drogadictos y la norma Israelí. La mayoría de los drogadictos (60.7%) están caracterizados por el estilo de enlace de rehusión, seguido por el estilo de seguridad (26.8%) y por el estilo de ansiedad/ambivalencia (12.5%). La mitad de las esposas (53.6%) están caracterizadas por el estilo de seguridad, seguido por el estilo de rehusión (42.9%) y por el estilo de ansiedad/ambivalencia (3.6%). El estilo de seguridad entre marido y mujer está asociado con niveles más altos de cohesión y adaptación familiar. Estos resultados tienen implicaciones importantes en cuanto a los prospectos de rehabilitación y de programas de intervención.

Résumé

Cette recherche, effectu’e en 1998, a pour objet, l’analyse des liens entre le style d’attachement de maris consommateurs de drogues (n = 56) et leurs femmes (n = 56) ainsi que leurs perceptions des dynamiques familiales. L’’chantillon ’tudi’ comprend une population de consommateurs d’h’ro’ne (52,9%) et une population de consommateurs de diff’rentes drogues d'sintoxiqu's. Les instruments de recherche auxquels les sujets ont r’pondu sont l’’chelle de style d’attachement pour adultes et le FACES III. Les r'sultats indiquent que les perceptions d’adaptations et de coh'sions familiales des consommateurs de drogues ne diff’rent pas de celles des normes isra’liennes. En effet, la plupart des consommateurs de drogues (60.7%) se caract’risent par un style d’attachement ’vitant, 26.8% par un style s’cure et 12.5% anxieux/ambivalent. En ce qui concerne leurs femmes, 53.6% ont un style d’attachement s’cure, 42.9% ’vitant et 3.6% anxieux/ambivalent. Le style s’cure (des maris et de leurs femmes) est associ’ aux niveaux de coh'sions et d’adaptations familiales les plus ’lev's tandis que le groupe du style anxieux/ambivalent s’associe aux niveaux de perceptions le plus bas.

Des ces r'sultats s’ensuivent d’importantes implications qu’il s’agisse de perspectives de r’habilitation ou de planification de programmes d’interventions.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ricky Finzi-Dottan

Ricky Finzi-Dottan, Ph.D., is senior lecturer in Bar Ilan University, School of Social Work, Israel, and a clinical social worker at Geha Mental Health Center, Petach–Tiqva. Her major research interests are children at risk in their families.

Orna Cohen

Orna Cohen, Ph.D., is a faculty member at Bob Shapell School of Social Work, Tel Aviv University, Ramat–Aviv, Israel, and a social worker and a divorce mediator at Family Mediation Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel.

Dorota Iwaniec

Professor Dorota Iwaniec is Director of the Institute of Child Care Research at Queen's University Belfast. Her research interests are in failure-to-thrive, parenting, emotional abuse, and neglect.

Yaffa Sapir

Yaffa Sapir, Ph.D., is a social worker and a criminologist, and a program planner in the Central School for Social Welfare Workers, The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, Tel Aviv, Israel.

Abraham Weizman

Abraham Weizman is a Professor of psychiatry in Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, and the head of research department in Geha Mental Health Center, Petach–Tiqva, Israel. His major research interests are child psychiatry and biological psychiatry.