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Interpersonal dependency, self‐esteem and depression in primary alcoholism
Author(s) -
Vrasti R.,
Enasescu N.,
Poelinca C.,
Apostol V.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
acta psychiatrica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.849
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1600-0447
pISSN - 0001-690X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0447.1988.tb06365.x
Subject(s) - psychology , self esteem , dependency (uml) , clinical psychology , interpersonal relationship , personality , depression (economics) , interpersonal communication , psychiatry , rating scale , developmental psychology , social psychology , systems engineering , engineering , economics , macroeconomics
This study was undertaken to clarify the relationship between alcoholism and depression by means of the personality traits interpersonal dependency and self‐esteem. In a sample of 52 alcoholics that met Feighner's criteria for primary alcoholism, the subjects were assessed by means of the Zung Depression Self‐rating Scale, the Hirschfeld Interpersonal Dependency Scale and the 23‐item version of the Janis & Field Self‐esteem Scale by Rimée & Leyens. By means of the score on the Zung scale the subjects were divided into depressive vs. non‐depressive alcoholics. There were no intergroup differences in interpersonal dependency. However, the depressive alcoholics scored significantly lower on the self‐esteem scale. The authors suggest that the level of self‐esteem in alcoholics is a function of secondary depression, whereas the interpersonal dependency might be influenced by the pathological drinking pattern.