Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
SUBSTANCE USE & MISUSE, 2025 (SCI-Expanded, SSCI, Scopus)
Objective Adult Separation Anxiety Disorder (ASAD) is a clinically significant yet understudied comorbidity in individuals with Substance Use Disorder (SUD). The study aimed to assess the comorbidity of ASAD in individuals with SUD and to examine the association of trauma and attachment to this relationship. Method This study included 168 inpatients diagnosed with SUD in an addiction treatment unit. Participants were assessed using self-report scales such as the Adult Separation Anxiety Questionnaire, Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, Three-Dimensional Attachment Style Scale, and Addiction Profile Index. Findings The SUD sample revealed prevalence of clinical ASAD (26.8%). ASAD severity was negatively correlated with secure attachment (r=-0.549, p < 0.001) and positively correlated with insecure attachment styles and addiction severity. Regression analysis confirmed that insecure attachment styles and emotional neglect independently predicted higher ASAD scores (p < 0.001). Mediation analysis was rejected; the direct effect of emotional neglect on clinical ASAD remained significant (OR = 1.11, p = 0.038), indicating a parallel risk path. Moderation analysis revealed that secure attachment significantly reduced the negative impact of emotional neglect on ASAD (beta=-0.09, p = 0.026). Conclusion This study suggests that ASAD is not merely a comorbid condition in SUD but a important emotional regulation mechanism associated with the maintenance of addiction. The results support the parallel risk model in which emotional neglect appears to be independently associated with ASAD risk. Clinically, interventions that focus solely on reducing substance use may be insufficient; instead, therapies that enhance secure attachment skills and emotional regulation processes may be crucial to improving treatment outcomes and reducing the risk of relapse.