Family of Origin and Current Relationship Influences on Codependency

Abstract

This study investigated codependency in Caucasian individuals within the framework of Bowen's Family Systems Theory. The sample consisted of a group of couples, in which one member of the couple was a recovering alcoholic in an aftercare program, and a group of matched, comparison couples. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire, the Friel Codependency Assessment Inventory, and the Personal Authority in the Family System (PAFS) Questionnaire. The findings confirmed that codependency levels were higher in clinical than in comparison couples. Moreover, within the clinical group, there was little difference between alcoholics and their spouses with respect to dysfunction in their families of origin, current families, or their codependency levels. The findings further suggested that the etiology and function of codependency are different in clinical and nonclinical families. In the clinical sample, the family of origin and current relationship characteristics were related to codependency in patterns consistent with previous theory and research. For the nonclinical sample, however, the findings contradicted conventional codependency theory. The findings suggest that, in contrast to clinical populations, codependency in nonclinical populations has some links with favorable characteristics of family functioning.

The Development, Reliability, and Validity of a Clinical Rating Scale for Codependency

“…Moreover, this study included clinically significant cases, among whom higher levels of codependency and other forms of pathology should be ex pected (Prest, Benson & Protinsky 1998). Consequently, the authors evaluated the discriminant validity of the Idaho Scale by calculating associations between codependency ratings and the characteristics of the counselors who made ttiem.…”

Families that Live with Disorders Related to Substances and Addiction

“…This understanding spawned from the Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) support groups in the 1940s since it was identified that alcohol addiction by the husband influenced the onset of certain symptoms in their wives and/ or partners. This phenomenon initially served as basis for the codependency model [27]. This way, the participation of family members in support groups such as Al-Anon (Family Members of Alcoholics Anonymous), Nar-Anon (Family Members of Narcotics Anonymous), and Tough Love was proposed.…”

Psychometric characteristics of the Hungarian Version of the Personal Authority in the Family System Questionnaire (PAFSQ-H)

“…A PAFS fogalmait vizsgáló kutatások feltárták, hogy az intergenerációs családi folyamatok alapvetõen befolyásolják a családtagok egészségét, illetve stressztûrõ képességét (Bray, Harvey, & Williamson, 1987), a pszichológiai distressz megélését (Harvey és mtsai, 1991), az egészséggel kapcsolatos viselkedésmintákat , az identitás, autonómia, önbizalom, önuralom mértékét (Anderson & Fleming, 1986a, b), továbbá a kodependencia megjelenését (Prest, Benson, & Protinsky, 1998), a követ-kezõ generáció kapcsolati mintáit (Lawson & Brossart, 2001).…”