Abstract

This study investigates emotional autonomy (Separation and Detachment) and solitude (Loneliness, Affinity/Aversion), comparing adolescent substance abusers with typically developing adolescents. The Emotional Autonomy Scale (EAS) and the Loneliness and Aloneness Scale for Children and Adolescents (LACA) were administered to 24 adolescent abusers (M = 18.46; DS = 1.14) and to 24 typically developing adolescents (M = 18.78; DS = 1.39). The typically developing adolescents showed higher scores than abusers for affinity for aloneness and separation from parents, while the abuser adolescents displayed higher scores of detachment and peer-related loneliness. The results are discussed with regard to the processes of separation and individuation.