Attachment Patterns and Their Relationship to the Perception of the Risks of Drug and Psychoactive Substance Addiction Among Adolescents

Abstract

The current study sought to shed light on attachment patterns and reveal the correlation between them and their perception of the risks of drug addiction. It also examined their level of awareness of these risks and the presence of statistically significant differences according to the gender variable. A descriptive correlational approach was used, and the study population consisted of (2,057) male and female secondary school students. A random sample of (300) students was selected, comprising (150) males and (150) females. To achieve the study objectives, the Dumas Attachment Patterns Scale (2023) was adopted, consisting of (36) items distributed across three patterns (secure, anxious, and avoidant). In addition, the Al-Hasnawi Addiction Risk Perception Scale (2024), consisting of (40) items, was adapted to become (37) items, also distributed across three dimensions (perception of health, legal, and social risks). The results showed that the secure attachment style was the most common among the sample members, and that there was a positive and significant correlation between secure attachment and perception of addiction risks, while the relationship was negative between anxious and avoidant attachment and risk perception. The results also revealed a relatively high level of risk perception, particularly in the health dimension, and differences between males and females in risk perception, in favor of females.The researcher recommends integrating attachment dimensions into counseling and prevention programs, promoting emotional education, and improving adolescents' risk perception mechanisms.