SATISFACTION AND FRUSTRATION OF BASIC PSYCHOLOGICAL NEEDS AND THE RISK OF RELAPSE IN ALCOHOL DEPENDENCE

Introduction: According to Self-Determination Theory (SDT), low satisfaction, especially frus-tration of basic psychological needs like auton-omy, competence and relatedness lead to poor well-being, the risk of harmful behaviour and psychopathology. The aim of the study was to identify the meaning of needs satisfaction and frustration for alcohol-dependence relapse risk. The predictors of relapse-risk were belief in the possibility of permanent abstinence, absti-nence self-efficacy in risky situations and alco-hol craving intensity.Material and methods: Data was collected from 115 stationary addiction therapy patients (93% men) of 18-65 years of age. Variables were measured using the Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction and Frustration Scale (BPNS & FS), the Penn Alco-hol Craving Scale (PACS), the Alcohol Abstinence Self-Efficacy Scale (AASES) and an estimation scale assessing the possibility of maintaining per-manent abstinence. Results: A significant difference was found in per-ceived alcohol craving, self-efficacy in abstinence coping and belief in the possibility of maintaining it for those with high and low needs satisfaction. Relapse risk was the most differentiated by compe-tence satisfaction. Discussion: Patients with highly satisfied needs experienced a significantly higher self-efficacy in coping with risky situations, trust in their ability to maintain abstinence and experienced a weak-er alcohol craving than patients with low need satisfaction. Additionally, patients with highly frustrated needs experienced lower self-efficacy in maintaining abstinence and higher alcohol craving than patients with low frustration. Com-petence frustration had the greatest impact on the risk of relapse.Conclusions: Satisfying psychological needs, es-pecially competence, is an important condition for building sobriety and effectively coping with its threats. Therapists should pay special attention to satisfying patients' psychological needs.