Attachment Representations, emotion regulation Difficulties and behavioral addiction Risk: Testing a mediation model...

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Developmental Psychology

Background:

• Behavioral addictions are prevalent in adolescents and young adults, often linked to digital and compulsive behaviors.
• Insecure attachment representations are associated with various psychological difficulties.
• Emotion dysregulation is a common feature in addictive behaviors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the mediating role of emotion dysregulation in the relationship between insecure attachment and behavioral addiction risk.
• To examine specific insecure attachment dimensions (Preoccupation with Relationships, Need for Approval) in relation to behavioral addiction.
• To identify potential targets for prevention strategies for behavioral addictions.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study with 418 undergraduate students (ages 18-22).
• Utilized self-report measures for attachment style, emotion regulation, and behavioral addiction.
• Employed multiple regression and mediation analyses to examine relationships between variables.

Main Results:

• Insecure attachment, particularly preoccupation with relationships and need for approval, was significantly associated with higher behavioral addiction risk.
• Emotion dysregulation partially mediated the relationship between insecure attachment and behavioral addiction.
• Difficulties in emotion management amplify the impact of insecure attachment on maladaptive behaviors.

Conclusions:

• Early relational vulnerabilities and deficits in emotion regulation contribute to behavioral addiction risk in emerging adulthood.
• Emotion regulation skills are a crucial target for interventions aimed at preventing and treating behavioral addictions.
• Understanding these pathways can inform the development of more effective prevention programs.