Interpersonal Dependency Inventory Research Articles

Genetic predictors of interpersonal dependence

For several decades, numerous scientific discussions about the definition and essence of the codependency phenomenon have been ongoing. At the same time, some researchers note a close relationship between this phenomenon and the concept of interpersonal dependence, considering its destructive and positive impact on personality. The relevance and value of the conducted research lies in the fact that despite numerous studies, including interdisciplinary ones, the question about the nature of interpersonal dependence remains open. The aim is to study the differences in levels of interpersonal dependence in different polymorphic variants of catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) and dopamine D2 receptor (DRD2) genes. An interdisciplinary molecular genetic and psychological study of 132 women with drug addiction in remission for more than two years was conducted. As a psychological tool was used, “The Interpersonal Dependency Inventory” developed by R. Hirschfield and adapted by O.P. Makushina was used. For determining the polymorphic variants of candidate genes, a method of isolating genomic DNA from buccal epithelial cells was used. The candidate genes considered were genotypes and alleles of the neurotransmitter pathways COMT and DRD2. For statistical processing of the obtained data, the nonparametric Mann-Whitney U-test was used. Substantial differences were found between the levels of interpersonal dependence in the genotypes VV and VM of the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) enzyme; a trend of statistically significant differences was detected between the levels of interpersonal dependence in the genotypes CT and TT of the DRD2 gene. The features identified during the study should be taken into account in the process of carrying out psychological and preventive measures for people with addictive behaviour.

Relationship Between Interpersonal Dependency And General Relationship Satisfaction Among Young Adults

In recent years, surveys show an increase of divorce rates globally. There are numerous reasons that could play a role in this change of relationship dynamics. The present study investigates the Relationship between interpersonal dependency and relationship satisfaction among young adults. An interpersonal evaluation which consists of feelings for one’s partner and positive attraction to the relationship is termed as Relationship Satisfaction. The sample size consists of 50 college students both undergraduate and postgraduate who are in a relationship in India. The process of data collection was carried out by the means of questionnaires and personal information that was gathered through google forms. The two questionnaires used for this process are - Relationship assessment scale and Interpersonal dependency inventory. The study found that there is no significant relationship between emotional reliance, lack of self-confidence, assertion of autonomy, and general relationship satisfaction. The study also found that there is no significant difference in interpersonal dependency and general relationship satisfaction among first-born and second-born young adults.

Quasi-experimental N = 1 evaluation of the effectiveness of cognitive analytic therapy for dependent personality disorder.

The evidence base for the treatment of dependent personality disorder (DPD) is sparse and there are few credible evaluations of the effectiveness of integrative psychotherapies. This study therefore employed an A/B with extended follow-up quasi-Experimental single case design with a female patient meeting diagnostic criteria for DPD, treated with cognitive analytic therapy (CAT). The patient was treated with the 24-session version of the model, with 6 months structured follow-up. Fidelity to the treatment model was found to be satisfactory. There was a significant effect of phase of study in the time series of the primary idiographic measure of reassurance-seeking. On the primary nomothetic measure (i.e., the Interpersonal Dependency Inventory), there was a reliable improvement to self-confidence on assessment-termination comparisons. Confidence in the reliability of the idiographic results is limited by evidence of improvements occurring during the baseline phase. The methodological limitations and clinical/theoretical implications are discussed for the use of integrative psychotherapies with patients with strong dependent traits.

Interpersonal dependence and differential types of reflection in students – boys and girls

The article presents results of the study of interpersonal dependence in the context of reflection as a necessary condition for personal autonomy and the mechanism of constructing and organizing a life perspective in adolescence.
 The psychological content of the phenomenon of interpersonal dependence is revealed, its destructive influence on the personality is emphasized, the positive role of reflection as a factor of actualization of the autonomy of the individual and the neutralization of interpersonal dependence is substantiated.
 The purpose of the study was to identify the relationship of interpersonal dependence and differential types of reflection in students – boys and girls.
 The scientific novelty of the research is determined by the fact that in the work for the first time the peculiarities of the functioning of interpersonal dependence and differential types of reflection on the students were determined, differences in the structure of the interrelationship between these phenomena in students – boys and girls were analyzed.
 The Interpersonal Dependency Inventory by R. M. A. Hirschfeld, Relationship Profile Test by R. F. Bornstein (both – in an adaptation by O. P. Makushina) and Differential Test of Reflexivity by D. A. Leontiev and E. M. Osin were applied to solve empirical problems. The sample consisted of 96 students of V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University. The first group included of 45 boys, the second – 51 girls. For the mathematical processing of data the Spearman rank correlation coefficient was used.
 It has been established that in both groups an increase in the propensity to unproductive types of reflection is a potential for the development of manifestations of interpersonal dependence. Both boys and girls, with increased introspection, there is an aggravation of destructive overdependence. It was also found that in young men the increase in such manifestations of interpersonal dependence, such as the need for emotional reliance on others, lack of self-confidence, and dependence in general, occurs along with the actualization of the tendency to introspection, while in girls – with the actualization of the tendency to quasi-reflection, together with than in these subjects, destructive overdependence grows. It should be noted that healthy dependence is involved in relationships with the differential types of reflection only in the group of girls, in which its severity increases with increasing ability to systemic reflection and inhibition of quasi-reflection.
 Results can be used for gender specification of psychological programs for the prevention and correction of interpersonal dependence in the students age. It is noted that the prospect of further research is to study the psychological characteristics that may act as inhibitors of interpersonal dependence in adolescence.

Особенности межличностных отношений с отцом у девушек, страдающих любовной аддикцией

Введение. Статья посвящена анализу особенностей межличностных отношений с отцами девушек 16–19 лет, страдающих любовной аддикцией. Представлен обзор публикаций по проблеме и обусловливающим ее факторам, главным из которых указывается роль отца. Эмпирические данные получены в процессе психологического консультирования девушек – любовных аддиктов. Научная новизна состоит в конкретизации характера межличностных отношений дочерей, страдающих любовной аддикцией, с отцами и в выводах относительно профилактики этой зависимости у новых поколений россиянок.
 Методы. Использовались: психологическое тестирование (тест любовной аддикции А. Ю. Егорова; тест межличностной зависимости Р. Гиршфильда; методика «ПоР» Л. И. Вассермана, И. А. Горьковой, Е. Е. Ромицыной; методика «Семейная социограмма» Э. Г. Эйдемиллера и О. В. Черемисина; методика оценки отношений дочери с отцом; методика самооценки «Я в отношениях с мужчинами в глазах других людей»); математико-статистическая обработка данных (осуществлена с помощью пакета SPSS Statistics 22: корреляционный анализ данных выполнен по методу Спирмена, сравнительный – по критерию Манна – Уитни).
 Результаты. Представлены результаты сравнительного анализа особенностей межличностных отношений с отцами девушек – любовных аддиктов и девушек, не имеющих признаков патологической любви. Приведены результаты корреляционного анализа данных, показывающие, что с возрастом у девушек, не страдающих любовной аддикцией, межличностная зависимость снижается, тогда как у девушек – любовных аддиктов она усиливается.
 Обсуждение результатов. Проинтерпретированы отношения девушек – любовных аддиктов с отцами. Показано, что они часто характеризуются директивностью отца, его непоследовательностью и враждебностью, но позитивным интересом дочери к нему; физически отсутствующий, безучастный или неадекватный в своем участии отец (директивный, непоследовательный, враждебный) является фактором формирования любовной аддикции у дочери. Предлагается смещение акцента с коррекции любовной аддикции на ее социально-психологическую профилактику у новых поколений россиянок.

The effect of interpersonal dependency tendency on interpersonal cognitive distortions on youths

ABSTRACTThe objective of this study is to investigate the correlation between the interpersonal dependency tendency and interpersonal cognitive distortions. The study group of the research consists of 879 university students from different faculties of Ondokuz Mayıs University. “Interpersonal Dependency Inventory” scale adapted by Ulusoy (2010) and the “Interpersonal Cognitive Distortions Scale’’ developed by Hamamcı (2002) were used in data collection. Data were analyzed with Pearson Moments Correlation, MANOVA, and Simple Regression. As a result of this research, a significant correlation was found between interpersonal dependency tendency and interpersonal cognitive distortions. According to the Simple Linear Regression Analysis, in which Interpersonal dependency scores are estimated by Interpersonal cognitive distortions, Interpersonal cognitive distortions significantly predict the interpersonal dependency scores of university students (R2 = 0.126, t = 11,26, p < 0,001). Also, Interpersonal cognitive distortions and interpersonal dependency show significant differences according to gender.

The impact of posttraumatic stress symptoms, posttraumatic stress cognitions and interpersonal dependency on psychological co-morbidities following relationship dissolution among college students

Background: Relationship dissolution is a distressing experience which can result in the emergence of posttraumatic stress (i.e. post-dissolution PTSS) and other psychological symptoms among college students. Little is known, however, whether posttraumatic stress cognitions and interpersonal dependency may influence the severity of these distress outcomes.Aims: This study examined the interrelationship between posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), posttraumatic stress cognitions, interpersonal dependency and psychological co-morbidities following relationship dissolution.Methods: One hundred and eighty college students (M = 69, F = 111) who had experienced relationship dissolution completed the Posttraumatic Stress Diagnostic Scale, Posttraumatic Stress Cognition Inventory, Interpersonal Dependency Inventory and General Health Questionnaire-28.Results: Posttraumatic stress symptoms following relationship dissolution (post-dissolution PTSS) were associated with increased psychological co-morbidities. Negative view of oneself and self-blame mediated between PTSS and psychological co-morbidities. Assertion of autonomy moderated the mediational effects of negative cognitions on psychological co-morbidities.Conclusions: People can develop PTSSs and other psychological symptoms following the dissolution of a romantic relationship. Their concept of self and tendency to seek independence and control played a key role in determining the severity of distress symptoms.

ДИСФУНКЦІОНАЛЬНІ МЕХАНІЗМИ АДАПТАЦІЇ ЯК НАСЛІДОК ПАТОЛОГІЧНИХ ВЗАЄМИН ДОНЬКИ ІЗ МАТІР'Ю

The article raises the question of women’s dysfunctional mechanisms of adaptation as a consequence of pathological relationships with the mother. Particular attention is paid to such of them: interpersonal dependence, depression, anxiety, frustration, aggression, rigidity. The Hirschfeld Interpersonal Dependency Inventory, the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale and the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire were used for an empirical study. In order to achieve these goals, a sample of 40 women aged 20 to 25 years was formed. A sample of this age allows you to look at a woman as an already established personality, and highlights the trends and characteristics of her interactions with others. The result of the study proved that the representatives of single-parent families have a greater degree of severity for all the indicators were given (interpersonal dependence, depression, anxiety, frustration, aggression, rigidity). This means that the absence of a permanent mother’s partner (along with other factors covered in the article) catalyzes and promotes the process of forming the pathological relationship between a daughter and mother, which in turn becomes the basis for the formation of dysfunctional mechanisms of adaptation to the daughter as an expression of maternal injury. Maternal trauma or a mother complex is defined as the collective concept of a daughter and mother pathological relationship negative consequences. This is explained by the fact that the daughter in these conditions becomes the only one object of the projections of mother’s fears, desires and dissatisfied needs, besides, she becomes the only source of love. A harmonious relationship with the mother is the basis for a full-fledged personality formation, while a natural interaction violation in the form of a fierce struggle for similarity and difference leads to an inadequate perception of the world and oneself, which is transferred to all subsequent generations in a closed circle.

Mindfulness Therapy for Maladaptive Interpersonal Dependency: A Preliminary Randomized Controlled Trial

Existing treatments for maladaptive interpersonal dependency and dependent personality disorder do not meet basic scientific standards for effectiveness. The present investigation tested the efficacy of a mindfulness-based approach: mindfulness therapy for maladaptive interpersonal dependency (MT-MID). Forty-eight participants who reported consistently high levels of maladaptive dependency (i.e., scored higher than 1 standard deviation above the mean on the Interpersonal Dependency Inventory at two separate assessments) were randomized to either 5 sessions of MT-MID or a minimal contact control. Five self-reported outcomes (mindfulness, maladaptive interpersonal dependency, helplessness, fears of negative evaluation, and excessive reassurance seeking) were assessed at pretreatment, posttreatment, and a 4-week follow-up. Intent-to-treat analyses indicated that MT-MID yielded greater improvements than the control on all 5 outcomes at posttreatment (median d=1.61) and follow-up (median d=1.51). Participants assigned to MT-MID were more likely than control participants to meet criteria for clinically significant change at posttreatment (56.5% vs. 0%) and follow-up (42.9% vs. 0%). There was also evidence that increases in mindfulness mediated the dependency-related improvements. These results provide preliminary support for the efficacy of a mindfulness-based approach for treating the symptoms of maladaptive dependency.

Interpersonal Dependency Constructs and Male Perpetrators of Intimate Partner Violence

USAThis study analyzed the subscales of the Interpersonal Dependency Inventory to investigate the levels of dependency among men courtordered to enter a batterers intervention program, determine asso-ciations between the subscales and violence, and evaluate thetreatment’s ability to change dependency on program completers.A secondary analysis with 114 men was used. Results indicatedthat using negotiation tactics and psychological aggression weresignificantly associated with emotional reliance on another per-son. Furthermore, the level of injury inflicted on a partner wasassociated with 2 subscales. No change in the level of dependencywas found. Implications regarding treatment were explored anddiscussed.

Female interpersonal dependency: genetic and environmental components and its relationship to depression as a function of age

Objectives: Research has shown that female interpersonal dependency is significantly associated with clinical depression but is only marginally related to childhood environmental factors. This study replicates the finding of O’Neill and Kendler that such dependency has a significant genetic component and no shared environmental component and extends this by examining the effect of age and the relationship between interpersonal dependency and depression.Method: A genetic model analysis for female twin pairs was made incorporating a scale from the Interpersonal Dependency Inventory, and the association between dependency quartiles and depression for both sexes determined. Dependency data were obtained by questionnaire from 4427 monozygotic and dizygotic twins, 90% female and this was combined with lifetime incidence of depression data in three categories of severity.Results: Additive genetic variance components of 49% and 41% were estimated for those females between 19–64 and 65–87 years, respectively, with no significant effect for the shared family environment for either age group. Only female dependency was found to be associated with the incidence of depression. Incidence levels of severe depression for older females in the highest quartile of dependency were 26% compared to 43% for the younger females.Conclusion: The investigation has estimated that nearly half of the variance in female interpersonal dependency is genetic in origin. It has also confirmed that high levels of such dependency are associated with the incidence of severe depression and this effect reduces with age. The possible reasons for this age-related effect are discussed.

Interpersonal Dependency Inventory: Its Construct Validity and Prediction of Dysphoric Mood and Life Functioning via Negative Life Events

Previous Dependency Inventory (JIDI) as well demonstrates how the interpersonal attitudes assessed by the JIDI generate interpersonal negative life events (NLEs) and therefore results in dysphoric moods and poor life functioning. The subjects of this study were 467 Japanese university students. The JIDI was administered at Time 1, and the Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation-Outcome Measure (CORE-OM) was administered at Time 2 for the purpose of assessing dysphoric mood and life functioning. NLEs occurring between Times 1 and 2 were evaluated. The three-factor structure of the JIDI was confirmed by confirmatory factor analysis. The structural equation modeling demonstrated that of the three factors, only one, “emotional reliance”, predisposed individuals to dysphoric mood and poor life functioning, both directly and indirectly, via interpersonal NLEs. Although the other two factors did not increase vulnerability to interpersonal NLEs or dysphoric mood, “lack of social self-confidence” worsened general functioning, and “assertion of autonomy” led to poor functioning in close relationships, both directly. Furthermore, “assertion of autonomy” decreased anxiety levels. As to gender differences, simultaneous analysis of multi-groups showed that female subjects were more likely to become anxious following interpersonal NLEs.

Absolute and Relative Short-Term Stability of Interpersonal Dependency in Suicide Attempters

Previous studies have reported an association between suicide and interpersonal dependency (IPD), but no study has examined whether IPD constitutes a state-dependent phenomenon or an enduring personality trait in this association. The aims of the present study were, firstly, to evaluate both the absolute and the relative stability of IPD as well as depression in suicide attempters and, secondly, to examine whether the relative stability of IPD was related to the depressive level rated on admission and/or at follow-up. The sample consisted of 41 suicide attempters evaluated on admission and 1 month later. The subjects filled in the Interpersonal Dependency Inventory (IDI) and the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II). The absolute and the relative stability of depression and IPD were analyzed using paired t-tests and Pearson's or intraclass correlation coefficients, respectively. The relative stability of IPD, taking into account the changes of the depressive level, was tested by two regression analyses. In the first regression analysis follow-up, the IDI scores were the dependent variable and the baseline IDI scores and BDI-II scores were the predictors. In the second regression analysis, the IDI change scores were the dependent variable and the BDI-II change scores were the predictors. Absolute and relative stability were demonstrated for IPD, whereas depression presented only relative stability. The IPD scores on admission were also significant predictors of the follow-up IPD scores after controlling for depression level. The 1-month duration of follow-up may be too brief to detect any decrease in the level of IPD. In conclusion, in contrast with the depression scores, the IPD scores presented short-term absolute and relative stability, and these results support the view that IPD is a stable personality trait in suicide attempters. The stability of IPD in suicide attempters suggests the interest of specific therapeutic approaches of this personality trait.

What Measure of Interpersonal Dependency Predicts Changes in Social Support?

One of the most intriguing characteristics of interpersonal dependency is its ability to predict elevated levels of social support. Yet studies of interpersonal dependency use various measures to assess this effect. In this study, I compared 3 commonly used measures of interpersonal dependency in terms of their prediction of social support: Hirschfield's Interpersonal Dependency Inventory (IDI; Hirschfeld et al., 1977), the dependency factor of the Depressive Experiences Questionnaire (DEQ; Blatt, D'Afflitti, & Quinlan, 1976), and the Dependency subscale of the Personal Style Inventory (PSI; Robins et al., 1994). A total of 152 undergraduates were administered these measures as well as measures of depressive symptoms and social support a week prior to their first exam period and a week after this period (interval time = 8 weeks). DEQ–dependency predicted an increase in social support, whereas PSI–Dependency and IDI predicted a decrease in social support over time. DEQ–dependency appears to capture better than the other 2 measures the dialectic tension between risk and resilience in interpersonal dependency.

Might the Rorschach Be a Projective Test After All? Social Projection of an Undesired Trait Alters Rorschach Oral Dependency Scores

The degree to which projection plays a role in Rorschach (Rorschach, 1921/1942) responding remains controversial, in part because extant data have yielded inconclusive results. In this investigation, I examined the impact of social projection on Rorschach Oral Dependency (ROD) scores using methods adapted from social cognition research. In Study 1, I prescreened 85 college students (40 women and 45 men) with the ROD scale and a widely used self-report measure of dependency, the Interpersonal Dependency Inventory (IDI; Hirschfeld et al., 1977). Results show that informing participants who scored low on the IDI that they were in fact highly dependent led to significant increases in ROD scores; I did not obtain parallel ROD increases for participants who scored high on the IDI or for participants who received low-dependent feedback. In Study 2, I examined a separate sample of 80 prescreened college students (40 women and 40 men) and showed that providing low self-report participants an opportunity to attribute dependency to a fictional target person prior to Rorschach responding attenuated the impact of high-dependent feedback on ROD scores. These results suggest that projection played a role in at least one domain of Rorschach responding. I discuss theoretical, clinical, and empirical implications of these results.

Personality and Repeated Suicide Attempts in Dependent Adolescents and Young Adults

This study compared personality characteristics of subjects with dependence disorders who had previously made a suicide attempt. The population, recruited in France, Belgium, and Switzerland, was composed of 570 subjects (225 females, 345 males, mean age = 27.3, SD = 8.5). The subjects' psychological dimensions were investigated by means of several self-report questionnaires including: BDI-13 (Beck), Sensation-Seeking Scale (Zuckerman), Toronto Alexithymia Scale (Taylor), Interpersonal Dependency Inventory (Hirschfeld), MMPI-2, and some additional scales. For most dimensions, repeat attempters, both past and recent, but more specifically the recent repeaters, had a more severe psychological profile compared to the other suicide attempters.

Dependency and suicidality in addictive disorders

Excessive interpersonal dependency has been described in depression and addictive disorders. Moreover, excessive dependency and suicidality are linked in psychiatric subjects, but their relationships have not been studied in specific addictions. Separate samples of female anorectic patients ( n = 150), female bulimic patients ( n = 95), male ( n = 150) or female ( n = 68) alcoholics, male ( n = 94) or female ( n = 54) drug abusers and non-psychiatric control subjects ( n = 683) were included in the study. On the basis of a structured interview, suicidal ideations, number of previous suicide attempts and diagnoses of dependent personality disorder (DSM-IV) were collected, and the subjects completed the Interpersonal Dependency Inventory and the Beck Depression Inventory. Logistic regression analysis revealed that excessive dependency and notably dependent personality disorder increased the likelihood of suicidal ideation or suicide attempts with a range of 2.65 to 9.42 in bulimic patients, female alcoholics and male drug abusers. Excessive dependency in specific addictive disorders as well as in male non-psychiatric subjects could constitute a risk factor for suicide. This hypothesis must be confirmed using prospective studies.

An examination of the impact of community‐based rehabilitation on the offending behaviour of male domestic violence offenders and the characteristics associated with recidivism

Purpose. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of completing a community‐based rehabilitation programme on both the rate of domestic violence reoffending, and time to first post‐treatment offence within an 11‐month follow‐up period. In addition, the pre‐treatment psychological, demographic, and offending history characteristics of recidivists were examined.Methods. Prior to attending West Midlands Probation Area's Domestic Violence Perpetrator Programme (DVPP), 86 male offenders completed a battery of six psychometric tests. The tests were the Novaco Anger Scale, Inventory of Beliefs about Wife Beating, Abusive Behaviour Inventory, Interpersonal Dependency Inventory, Multidimensional Locus of Control Scale and Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding. Post‐treatment reoffending was identified from police contact data.Results. Of the 86 offenders who started the DVPP, 21% were alleged to have reoffended within an 11‐month post‐treatment period. Completing the programme was not significantly associated with either alleged reoffending, or time to first alleged incident. The identified treatment effect size was small (w=0.20). It was found that higher interpersonal dependency and more frequent contact with the police in the 24 months prior to attending the programme for theft and violent domestic violence predicted post‐treatment domestic violence offending.Conclusions. The results of this study indicate that the programme did not significantly reduce the rate of alleged reoffending among programme completers, or the time to first post‐treatment offence reported to the police. However, the results suggest that those offenders who were alleged to have reoffended may represent a distinct offender subgroup. These results are discussed with reference to client treatment matching and the move towards nationally accredited rehabilitation programmes in the UK.

Interpersonal Dependency in Suicide Attempters

Background: A high level of interpersonal dependency (IPD) has been reported in suicide attempters, which might be explained by depression levels as well as the high rate of female suicide attempters. Methods: 63 suicide attempters and 63 non-suicide attempters were recruited from a nonpsychiatric sample. The control subjects were individually matched to the patients for gender, age and educational status. The subjects filled out the Beck Depression Inventory and the Interpersonal Dependency Inventory (IDI). Analysis of covariance was performed to control the depression level. Results: Suicide attempters had significantly higher scores on the IDI than non-suicide attempters. Conclusion: A high level of IPD is related to suicide risk independently of depression. Limitation: only a prospective study could test the hypothesis that a high level of IPD predisposes an individual to commit suicide. Clinical relevance: IPD must be detected in subjects at risk of suicide.

Alexithymia, Depressive Experiences, and Dependency in Addictive Disorders

Alexithymia, depressive feelings, and dependency are interrelated dimensions that are considered potential “risk factors” for addictive disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between these dimensions and to define a comprehensive model of addiction in a large sample of addicted subjects, whether affected by an eating disorder or presenting an alcohol- or a drug use-related disorder. The participants in this study were gathered from a multicenter collaborative study on addictive behaviors conducted in several psychiatric departments in France, Switzerland, and Belgium between January 1995 and March 1999. The clinical sample was composed of 564 patients (149 anorexics, 84 bulimics, 208 alcoholics, 123 drug addicts) of both genders with a mean age of 27.3 ± 8 years. A path analysis was conducted on the 564 dependent patients and 518 matched controls using the scores of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale, the Depressive Experiences Questionnaire, and the Interpersonal Dependency Inventory. Statistical analyses showed good adjustment (Goodness of Fit Index = 0.977) between the observable data and the assumed model, thus supporting the hypothesis that a depressive dimension, whether anaclitic or self-critical, can facilitate the development of dependency in vulnerable alexithymic subjects. This result has interesting clinical implications because identifying specific patterns of relationships leading from alexithymia to dependency can provide clues to the development of targeted strategies for at-risk subjects.