[Attachment styles in German alcoholics with or without attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)].
BACKGROUND
Attachment theory yields empirical constructs for development of human self, personality and cognition. Insecure attachment strategies were associated with various psychiatric disorders.


METHODS
We investigated distribution of attachment styles in 368 adult alcoholics of German descent with or without persistent symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and in 402 healthy individuals.


RESULTS
Insecure attachment styles were significantly overrepresented compared to healthy controls. The subgroup of alcoholics with ADHD showed significantly more frequent enmeshed (74.1 %), the subgroup of alcoholics without persistent ADH-associated symptoms showed more frequent dismissing (35 %) attachment strategies.


CONCLUSIONS
In our sample, insecure attachment styles are associated with alcoholism. The subgroup of alcoholics with persistent ADHD shows a specific attachment behavior that could contribute to different therapy response or to early onset or severity of alcoholism.
Johann
Monika
M
Klinik und Poliklinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie der Universität Regensburg am Bezirksklinikum. monika.johann@medbo.de
Laufkötter
Rainer
R
Lange
Kirsten
K
Wodarz
Norbert
N
D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009769:Object Attachment; D010552:Personality Assessment; D010555:Personality Inventory; D019962:Reactive Attachment Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D012307:Risk Factors