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Abstract
Codependency constitutes a significant health risk, particularly for women, because
codependent women are often involved in abusive and potentially harmful relationships.
Individuals who are identified as codependent can engage in therapy and gain knowledge
and freedom from such relationships. However, there is no reliable and valid measure
of codependency that is consistently used to identify these individuals. This article
describes the development and testing of the Codependency Assessment Tool, a multivariate
tool that conceptualizes codependency as a construct comprising five factors: (1)
Other Focus/Self-Neglect, (2) Low Self-Worth, (3) Hiding Self, (4) Medical Problems,
and (5) Family of Origin Issues. The instrument has excellent reliability and validity.
Its test-retest reliabilities = .78 to .94; Cronbach's alpha = .78 to .91. Criterion
validity was determined to be established by using known groups; construct validity
was established by comparing the codependency dimensions with depression.