The Mediating Role of Self-Control in the Relationship between Traumatic Childhood Experiences and Craving in Patients with Methadone Maintenance Treatment

The aim of the present study was to investigate the mediating role of self-control in the relationship between traumatic childhood experiences and craving in patients on methadone maintenance treatment.

This study was a descriptive-correlational study of the structural equation modeling type. The statistical population included substance-dependent patients under treatment with methadone in addiction treatment centers in the city of Kochesfhan in 2024. 300 of them were selected using the convenience sampling method. The instruments used in this study included the childhood trauma questionnaire, the self-control scale, and the craving questionnaire. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling.

The results showed that traumatic experiences in childhood had a direct and significant impact on craving and self-control. Moreover, self-control significantly mediated the relationship between traumatic childhood experiences and carving, and the model was well-fitted.

According to the results, traumatic childhood experiences affecting self-control played an important role in the craving of patients receiving methadone maintenance treatment. These results can be used as a useful model, and more attention should be paid to the role of traumatic childhood experiences and self-control in the treatment of substance abuse and craving.