Parental bonding in substance and alcohol abusers

Background: Deficient parental bonding (PB) during childhood and adolescence and, more specifically, a pattern of "affectionless control" has been associated with the development of substance abuse. Aim: Our aim is to investigate PB style among drug and alcohol abusers so as to be able to assess whether it may influence the age of onset and the type of abuse. Methods:The Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI) was administered to patients with a diagnosis of alcohol (N=26) and drug abuse (N=62). PB styles, paternal/maternal care and overprotection, type of substance, age at onset and sociodemographic features were analysed and compared between the two groups of abusers. Spearman's correlations between PB dimensions and styles, type of abuse and age at onset were run. Results: "Affectionless control" is the most frequent PB style among drug and alcohol abusers. There is a negative correlation between paternal care and the use of cocaine, heroin and LSD, and a positive correlation with ecstasy and alcohol abuse. Father overprotection correlates positively with all substances except for ecstasy, and negatively with alcohol abuse. Mother care correlates negatively with LSD, and positively with ecstasy abuse. Mother overprotection correlates positively with all substances, and negatively with alcohol abuse. With comparable overprotection, a high level of paternal care correlates with earlier onset of drug abuse (p=.017). Maternal overprotection is related to the early onset of alcohol abuse (p =.033). Conclusions: Drug and alcohol abusers describe their PB as "affectionless control". Specific PB styles and levels of maternal/paternal care and overprotection are associated both with the onset and the use of specific substances.