Attachment and psychopathology: association between attachment representations, personality disorders and psychological disease in a group of substance addicted women.

Increasing literature points out attachment as playing a key role in the diagnosis and treatment of psychological diseases diagnosed on Axis I, such as drug addiction. Recent studies seem to highlight a prevalence of insecure attachments in clinical samples. Specifically, some authors reported a prevalence of anxious-insecure pattern of attachment in drug addicted women with double diagnosis. Anyway, additional research is needed in order to clarify the role played by attachment as a risk factor in the development of drug addiction. The present study aimed at evaluating the relationships between adult attachment representations, personality traits and psychiatric symptoms in a group of 40 addicted mothers attending a rehabilitation program in Therapeutic Community (TC). Maternal attachment representations were assessed with the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI), while personality disorders and psychological disease were evaluated respectively with the Structured Clinical Interview of the DSM-IV (SCID-II) and the Symptom Check List-90-r (SCL-90-r). Measures were taken within the first 6 months after entrance in TC. Results highlighted a prevalence of insecure attachment representations (90%) within the group. Most of them reported unresolved experiences linked to experiences of danger and failed protection during childhood. Moreover, the presence of unresolved patterns of attachment showed associations with specific personality patterns and with the perception of psychological disease. Finally, as suggested by the literature, associations were also found between symptoms of Axis I and Axis II. These results seem to confirm that insecure attachment could act as risk factor with respect to the development and treatment of psychopathology. Clinicians should take these aspects into account in everyday practice, especially when working with subjects with children, whose symptoms could affect parenting and caregiving abilities.