Exploring the influence of parenting styles and childhood abuse on impulsivity in young and middle-aged patients with new drug dependency: A network analysis.

Background: New drug dependency poses a significant threat to global mental health and behavior. Impulsivity - defined as poor self-control and delay discounting - is a well-established risk factor for substance abuse and relapse. Although childhood experiences are known to influence impulsivity, the specific roles of parenting styles and childhood abuse to new drug dependency remain underexplored.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included 1,042 patients with new drug dependency. Data were collected using the Revised Short-Form Egna Minnen av Barndoms Uppfostran for Chinese, Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form, and Barratt Impulsivity Scale-11. Network analysis identified key items and interactions, with central and bridge nodes determined using the qgraph and networktools packages. The bootnet package was used to assess network stability.

Results: Impulsivity was used as the dependent variable. I2 (Motor Impulsivity) - F9 (Emotional Abuse), I1 (Nonplanning Impulsivity) - F9 (Emotional Abuse), and I3 (Attentional Impulsivity) - F11 (Sexual Abuse) showed notable correlations. F5 (Father's Overprotection) had the strongest centrality, marking it as a key factor, followed by F9 (Emotional Abuse). Additionally, I2 (Motor Impulsivity) and F9 (Emotional Abuse) emerged as two key bridge nodes linking distinct communities.

Conclusions: Father's overprotection and emotional abuse may have a significant impact on impulsivity of patients with new drug dependency. Motor impulsivity and emotional abuse serve as bridges in different directions. Addressing these issues may enhance intervention effectiveness and reduce relapse risk in patients.