Assessment of codependency behavior in two health student groups

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Healthcare Professions Education

Background:

• Codependency is a pattern of behavior that can affect personal relationships and professional choices.
• Understanding the psychological profiles of students entering caregiving professions is crucial for effective training and support.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between codependency and the selection of caregiving professions.
• To examine correlations between codependency, self-esteem, and locus of control in students of occupational therapy and health information administration.

Main Methods:

• Administered the Friel Co-Dependency Assessment Inventory, Tennessee Self-Concept Scale, and Internal-External Locus of Control Scale to 30 students.
• Compared codependency scores between occupational therapy and health information administration students.
• Analyzed correlations between codependency, self-esteem, and locus of control.

Main Results:

• Occupational therapy students scored significantly lower in codependency than health information administration students.
• No significant differences were found in self-esteem or locus of control between the groups.
• Strong negative correlation between severe codependency and self-esteem; moderate positive correlation between severe codependency and external locus of control.

Conclusions:

• The study did not support the hypothesis that codependent individuals are drawn to caregiving professions.
• Only moderate-to-severe codependency was associated with low self-esteem and high external locus of control.
• Recommends integrating codependency awareness into occupational therapy academic preparation.