Attachment Styles of Parents with Alcohol UseDisorder and the Relation of Their Parenting Perceptionto Their Parenting Attitudes

Abstract

Objective: Many neurobiological, genetic, environmental, and spiritual factors areinvolved in addiction etiology. This study aims to examine parental perceptions, attach ment styles, and parental attitudes. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study. Patients diagnosed with alcohol use disorder(AUD) were enrolled in the Addiction Clinic of the Erenköy Mental Hospital. The struc tured clinical interview for DSM-5 (SCID-I) was applied, and the sociodemographic dataform, Adult Attachment Style, Family Life and Child Rearing Attitude Scale, and ParentAttachment Scale were administered to the participants. Results: It was determined that 21.5% of participants had depressive episode and anxi ety disorder diagnoses; 15.4% of participants had children with a history of psychiatrictreatment; 16.9% had children with a history of alcohol/substance use. The avoidantattachment score average of individuals with APD was found to be higher. The positiveperception of parents participating in terms of care and protection toward their own par ents was significant in all subdimensions with secure attachment. When the child-rearingattitudes of parents with secure attachment were examined, the dimensions of demo cratic attitude and recognition of equality were statistically significantly higher. Conclusion: Parenting and attachment are associated with many steps of addiction. Inthe fight against addiction, it is very important to treat addiction as a family problem. Theeducation and interventions to be made can be protective in terms of psychopathologyand addiction issues, which may provide early intervention for these problems. In addi tion, constructive interventions related to family relationships are important in increasingthe social support of people who are being treated for AUD.