Desregulación Emocional y Calidad de la Alianza Terapéutica en Personas con Trastorno por Consumo de Sustancias en Tres CETADs de Cuenca-Ecuador (2025-2026)

Abstract

Substance use disorder is a significant public health problem, where factors such as emotional dysregulation are considered obstacles to therapeutic success. The purpose of this research was to analyze the relationship between the degree of emotional dysregulation and the quality of the therapeutic alliance in specialized clinical settings. The methodological process consisted of a quantitative, correlational, and cross-sectional study. Participants included 50 men receiving treatment at three Specialized Treatment Centers for People with Substance Use Disorders in Cuenca, Ecuador. Data were recollected using the emotional dysregulation scale (DERS-16) and the therapeutic alliance inventory (WATOCI), with analysis conducted via inferential statistics. Primary results showed no statistically significant correlation between global emotional dysregulation and the overall therapeutic alliance (rho = -.101, p = .487), even though the alliance was reported as favorable (M = 5.26). A moderate and significant positive correlation was established between the number of sessions and the quality of the alliance (rho = .418, p = .003). The general conclusion is that, within the structured context of specialized treatment centers, the therapeutic alliance is a construct that does not appear to be directly associated with reported emotional dysregulation but rather strengthens as a function of treatment continuity.