title: The relationship between vulnerable attachment style, psychopathology, drug abuse, and retention in treatment among methadone maintenance treatment patients.
abstract: The relationship between vulnerable attachment style, psychopathology, drug abuse, and retention in treatment among patients in methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) was examined by the Vulnerable Attachment Style Questionnaire (VASQ), the Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90), and drug abuse urine tests. After six years, retention in treatment and repeated urine test results were studied. Patients with vulnerable attachment style (a high VASQ score) had higher rates of drug abuse and higher psychopathology levels compared to patients with secure attachment style, especially on the interpersonal sensitivity, anxiety, hostility, phobic anxiety, and paranoid ideation scales. Drug abstinence at baseline was related to retention in treatment and to higher rates of drug abstinence after six years in MMT, whereas a vulnerable attachment style could not predict drug abstinence and retention in treatment. Clinical Implications concerning treatment of drug abusing populations and methodological issues concerning the VASQ's subscales are also discussed.
authors.affiliation: a Dr. Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson Clinic for Drug Abuse Treatment and Research , Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center , Tel-Aviv , Israel.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Potik
authors.forename: Einat
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Peles
authors.forename: Yahli
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Abramsohn
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Adelson
authors.forename: Shaul
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schreiber
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D057189:Checklist; D055030:Drug Users / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006556:Heroin Dependence / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation* / Q000652:urine; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008691:Methadone / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009769:Object Attachment; D058850:Opiate Substitution Treatment / Q000009:adverse effects; D012008:Recurrence; D012307:Risk Factors; D015813:Substance Abuse Detection / Q000379:methods; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D016482:Urinalysis; D035862:Vulnerable Populations / Q000523:psychology*
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D008691:Methadone
keywords: drug abuse; methadone maintenance treatment; psychopathology; retention in treatment; vulnerable attachment style