The role of childhood trauma and self esteem in predicting codependency

In this study, it was aimed to examine the predictive role of childhood traumas and self-esteem on codependency in adults living in Turkey. A total of 429 participants, 228 females and 201 males, between the ages of 19-70 were reached via the internet. The mean age of the sample was 34.77 ± 11.56. Of the participants, 213 (49.7%) were married and 216 (50.3%) were romantically involved. The Sociodemographic and Other Information Form, the Childhood Trauma Scale, the Self-Esteem Scale and the Codependency Scale were used in the study. The independent sample t-test was used to examine the effects of sociodemographic variables on childhood traumas, self-esteem and codependency and Pearson correlation and regression analyzes were used to test the hypotheses of the research. According to the results of the study, codependency is a significant predictor of emotional neglect and abuse, which is one of the sub-dimensions of CTQ, and excessive protection-control codependency in married participants. In those participants in a romantic relationship, it was found that physical neglect and abuse, emotional neglect and abuse, which are sub-dimensions of CTQ, were significant predictors of codependency. The findings reveal that the self-esteem variable is a significant predictor of codependency among married and romantically involved participants. This study points out the importance of traumatic experiences and self-esteem of individuals in early and young adulthood on their future dependency levels in spouse/partner relationships. These findings indicate significant relationships between different types of childhood trauma, codependency and self esteem.