Codependency and family cohesion and adaptability: changes during treatment in a therapeutic community

Codependency is a significant factor in the understanding of addiction to psychoactive substances. The present study examined changes in the level of codependency and perceived family relationships of drug-using residents in the three therapeutic communities in Israel in the course of their treatment. The findings indicate significant changes in both the level of codependency and the residents' perceptions of their family relationships between the beginning and the reentry stages of their treatment. On the other hand, no significant associations were found between their level of codependency and their perceptions of their family relationships. The findings are discussed in relation to the nature of addiction, the family processes, the treatment in the therapeutic community, and the addicted person's perseverance in that community.