Alexithymia, emotion regulation, psychological well-being, and internet addiction among individuals with substance dependence

Background: Substance dependence (SuD) has emerged as a focal point of concern among healthcare professionals, particularly those specializing in mental health. Hence, exploring the psychological factors linked to SuD is crucial. Aim: To evaluate the role of alexithymia, emotion regulation strategies (ERS), psychological well-being (PSW), and internet addiction (IA) in individuals with SuD and those without SuD. Materials and Methods: The study employed a cross-sectional design, enrolling 75 male individuals diagnosed with SUD and 75 male participants without SuD from the general population, aged between 18 and 40 years, selected using a purposive sampling technique. The assessment tools utilized in this study included the Toronto Alexithymia Scale, Drug Abuse Screening Tool (DAST), Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, and Ryff’s Psychological Well-Being Scale. Results: The findings indicated that alexithymia was found to be more prevalent in individuals with SuD in comparison to those without SuD. Those with SuD tended to utilize expressive suppression to regulate their emotions, while individuals without SuD tended to employ cognitive reappraisal as an ERS. PSW was lower in individuals with SuD as opposed to those without SuD. Individuals with SuD exhibited higher levels of IA compared to their non-SuD counterparts. Additionally, the results indicated that among all variables, Alexithymia significantly positively predicted the severity of SuD, which was measured using the DAST accounting for 70% of the variance in severity of SuD among individuals with SuD. Conclusions: The research emphasizes significant psychological distinctions between individuals with and without SuD, with alexithymia serving as a crucial predictor of the severity of dependence.