Comparison of Difficulties in Emotional Regulation and Borderline Personality Traits among Addicts Undergoing Methadone Treatment, Self-Referred Addicts, and Healthy Subjects

The aim of this study was to compare the difficulty in emotional regulation and traits of borderline personality disorder among addicts undergoing methadone treatment, self-referred addicts, and healthy subjects.
The current study was a causal-comparative research. The statistical population of this research included all men referring to substance abuse addiction treatment centers in Khoy, Iran, in 2013. The sample consisted of 40 addicts underdoing methadone treatment, 40 self-referred drug addicts, and 40 non-addicted individuals. The subjects were selected through convenience sampling method. For data collection, subjects completed the Difficulties in Emotional Regulation Scale (DERS) and Schizotypal Trait Questionnaire-B Form (STB). Data analysis was performed using multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and Tukey’s test in SPSS software.
Findings: The results indicated that self-referred patients (receiving no treatment) had significantly higher scores in STB [f = 15.05, P = 0.0001] and DERS [f = 47.33, P = 0.0001] than individuals treated with methadone and healthy individuals. However, Tukey’s test results showed no significant difference between patients treated with methadone and healthy subjects in this component.
Due to the role of difficulty in emotional regulation and borderline personality traits in substance use disorders (SUDs), further studies on the role of these variables in the initiation and maintenance of substance use are necessary. Moreover, holding workshops related to emotional regulation and impulse control skills for substance users seems necessary.