Insécurités d'attachement et violence conjugale : le rôle intermédiaire de la consommation et de la détresse psychologique

Purpose: This study investigated the direct and indirect associations between attachment insecurities and four forms of intimate partner violence (IPV)—physical, psychological, sexual, and coercive control—through psychological distress and substance use. Methods: A sample of 1034 men entering an IPV-specialized treatment answered validated questionnaires assessing, attachment, psychological distress, substance use, and perpetrated intimate partner violence behaviors (physical, psychological, sexual, coercive control). Results: Higher attachment-related anxiety was directly related to increased reports of psychological and sexual IPV and coercive control, whereas attachment-related avoidance was related to higher psychological IPV. Attachment-related anxiety was indirectly related to higher psychological IPV through psychological distress, problematic substance use, and cannabis use. Attachment-related anxiety was indirectly related to higher coercive control and sexual IPV through psychological distress, and to coercive control through higher problematic substance use and psychological distress. Attachment-related avoidance was related to the perpetration of psychological IPV, coercive control, and sexual IPV through higher psychological distress and problematic substance use.