The relation of attachment styles and problem solving skills to resiliency in treatment-seeking substance dependents

A new direction in the prevention of drug use is the identification of protective factors. One of the protective factors is the resilience that refers to the process of returning to normal functioning after a stressful event. The present study investigates the relation of attachment styles and problem solving skills to resiliency in treatment-seeking substance dependents referring to the treatment clinics. The study population were drug addicts who had referred to addiction treatment clinics of Ahwaz city. The participants included 186 men and women with drug addiction who were selected by convenience sampling method. Data were collected by using adult attachment style questionnaire, Connor and Davidson Resiliency Scale, and the scale of the problem-solving developed by Cassidy and Long. The results indicated a positive correlation between secure attachment and resilience. They also showed a positive correlation between problem solving skills and resiliency. Results of the regression analysis indicated that attachment style and problem solving can predict the resiliency with 5% variance. Having beliefs about solving life's problems along with a secure attachment style can increase people’s resiliency. This can be used by treatment centers as an important aspect in training patients how to solve the problems and deal with the issue of drug addiction.