Attachment Styles as Predictor of Psychological Distress among Young Adults with Drug Dependence: A Basis for a Proposed Mental Health Program

Drugs have been a rising and severe concern for many years in the Philippines as it still one of the most severe social issues and has been the top priority on the government’s agenda. Previous research has primarily discussed that drug addiction typically begins quietly and is not necessarily perceived as a problem. It starts with simple recreational usage, experimentation, and even a prescription for medical use, and that eventuality becomes a necessity and part of the everyday routine. The effects of drugs vary depending on their type, dosage, and frequency of use which may impact a person's poor performance, impairment of will and social relationships, and physiological and psychological issues. The study aimed to investigate the relationship between the attachment styles and psychological distress of young adults with drug dependence in Quezon City Drug and Treatment Rehabilitation Center "Tahanan". The study was utilized in a quantitative study through correlation and regression analysis on the data obtained from eighty (80) respondents, selected using a purposive sampling technique. The data were gathered through self-report standardized tests, namely the Attachment Styles Questionnaire (ASQ), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI- III), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10). The results revealed that of all the levels, there is a positive and significant relationship between Dismissive attachment style and psychological distress, particularly stress of the respondents (p = 0.276, p < 0.013). The findings indicated that higher levels of dismissive attachment style may positively impact the psychological distress, particularly stress, of young adults with drug dependence. However, the dismissive attachment style was not a predictor of psychological distress, particularly stress (p > 0.285). Furthermore, the results of this study served as a basis for the proposed mental health program, I Am Here Mental Health Program.