Co-dependency: personality correlates in spouses of alcoholics

One hundred and fifty co-dependent spouses of alcoholics were compared with an equal number of wives of non-alcoholics. Instruments to assess their self-esteem, neuroticism and pessimism were administered. Data analysis showed that the co-dependents had lower self-esteem and manifested greater levels of neuroticism and pessimism than the subjects of the reference group. The findings substantiate the stress hypothesis of co-dependency, which advocates that the stress of living with an alcoholic is responsible for the personality deficits seen in the spouse. Implications for therapeutic intervention have been discussed.