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

Abstract

This investigation examined the reliability and validity of a rating scale for codependency in substance abuse treatment. The investigators developed an example-anchored rating scale to operationalize codependency as substance abuse counselors construe it in practice, and recruited 27 counselors for a counterbalanced multiple-treatment experiment. Counselors were randomly assigned to one of four continuing education workshops for rating-scale training, and asked to evaluate codependency in five videotaped cases. Semistructured case interviews were videotaped with a male and a female from five adult populations to vary the gender and codependency of cases: (1) outpatients in treatment for addiction, (2) outpatient spouses, (3) members of Codependents Anonymous, (4) United States Bureau of Land Management smoke jumpers, and (5) college students majoring in business or economics. To control for gender effects, one workshop presented male cases, one workshop presented female cases, and two workshops presented cases of both genders. To control for order effects, the assignment of videotapes to workshops was randomized to counterbalance the order in which counselors viewed them. The findings suggest that the rating scale yields reliable and valid evaluations of codependency without appreciable gender bias.

Differences in early maladaptive schemas in a sample of alcohol- and opioid-dependent women: Do schemas vary across disorders?

“…Codependence is a widespread concept in the substance use literature, and often refers to an individual who derives their own esteem through the feelings and/or behavior of other people and who put their welfare below that of another person's welfare (Cermak, 1986; Harkness, Swenson, Madsen-Hampton, & Hale, 2001). Because codependence is a common term used in substance use treatment and is often targeted in substance use treatment (Harkness et al, 2001), it is possible that self-sacrifice represents a pervasive form of codependency and may be beneficial to target in substance use treatment. However, the association between self-sacrifice and codependency remains an empirical question and research should explore their relation.…”

An Examination of the Factor Structure of the Trauma Inventory for Partners of Sex Addicts (TIPSA)

“…The concept of codependency emerged in the 1960's and 1970's as a means of describing wives of alcoholics (Cermak, 1991;Harkness, Swenson, Madsen-Hampton, & Hale, 2001).…”

“…In addition to those listed Treatment for codependence has traditionally been Twelve-Step programs (such as Al-Anon, CoSa, etc.) along with psychoeducation (Harkness et al, 2001;Tripodi, 2006). These programs tend to adhere to the disease model of addiction and co-addiction, which has caused some concern among those who do not view codependency as a disease (Plant & Plant, 2009).…”

“…of the term codependence, with many wondering if the concept has become an outdated, and inaccurate, means of making sense of the relationship between partners and addicts (Panaghi et al, 2016). Some researchers suggest that the concept of codependency has extended beyond the realm of addiction treatment and has become a way to describe the dysfunctional dynamics of any relationship, not just those between partners and addicts (Harkness et al, 2001;Lindley & Giordano, 1999;Springer, Britt, & Schlenker, 1998;Wells, Hill, Brack, Brack, & Firestone, 2006). Shaef declared codependency to be an epidemic, resulting from a codependent society (as cited in Prest & Protinsky, 1993), and Lindley and Giordano (1999) have gone so far as to assert that the term codependency has become so broad that is has begun to "lose [it's] theoretical rigor and explanatory power.…”

Assessing Codependency and Family Pathology in Nursing Students

“…Much of the writing in the field of codependency tends to be descriptive (Davidhizar and Eshleman 1992;Kowal 1994), although there are also empirical studies available (Prest, Benson, and Protinsky 1998;Harkness et al 2001). One of the identified traits of codependency is a tendency to ignore personal needs in relationships.…”