RESUMO
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.