Structural Model of Brain-Behavioral Systems, Feeling of Loneliness, Emotion Regulation Difficulty, and Craving for Substance Use among Female Substance Abusers

Addiction is a complex social problem that has many negative consequences for the individuals and society. The aim of this study was to have an experimental evaluation of the fitness of the model in which the roles of brain-behavioral systems, difficulty in emotion regulation, and loneliness in the craving of female substance abusers were considered.
For this purpose, 580 addicted women in Kerman city were selected by voluntary sampling method and responded to Craving Beliefs Questionnaire, Jackson’s Five Factor Questionnaire, revised UCLA Loneliness Scale, and Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale.
The results showed that although some of the paths are not statistically significant, the proposed model enjoys a good fit. The results also indicated that brain-behavioral systems contribute to the craving of women with substance abuse both directly and through the mediation of difficulty in emotion regulation, while these systems do not have a role in the craving of women with substance abuse through the mediation of loneliness.
Accordingly, these variables can be targeted to prevent addiction, treat addiction, and reduce the possibility of relapse.