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Seven million American women are depressed, and 40 million Americans, primarily women,
have been labeled as codependent. This study aimed to identify the prevalence of codependency
in women undergoing treatment for depression, examine the relationship between codependency
and depression, and determine which of the symptoms of codependency are most highly
predictive of depression scores. Depression and codependency were measured in a sample
of 105 depressed women by using the Beck Depression Inventory and the Codependency
Assessment Tool. Descriptive statistics, Pearson's Product Moment Correlation, and
multiple regression were used for analysis. Of these depressed women, 36% were moderately
to severely codependent. Depression and codependency were strongly related, with the
significant γ = .92 (P < .001). Of the codependency subscales, Low Self-Worth and Hiding Self correlate
most strongly with depression; Other Focus/Self-Neglect added the least-independent-explanatory
power. Thus, future research should be directed toward the relationship of codependency
to power, alienation of self, and personality disorders.
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© 1998 W.B. Saunders Company. Published by Elsevier Inc.
