Codependency and Depression

SUMMARY The focus of this study was to investigate a correlation between codependency and depression. The instruments that were used for the study were the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and The Awareness Activity: How Codependent Are You? Results of this study were based on 149 paired inventories. The individuals who volunteered to complete the inventories were selected from three clinical settings in the New Orleans area; Subjects utilized were adults of both sexes and all ages. There was a strong, positive correlation between the two variables, codependency and depression, of .5966 (p < .00001). When the relationship between codependency and depression was assessed for each of the separate groups, the same trend prevailed across all three groups. While one cannot conclude from this study that codependency and depression are equal, one may suggest that a relationship exists between them. These findings indicate that if a person reports himself/herself to be highly codependent, he/she is likely to experience an elevated level of depression.