Pathological Personality Traits and Codependency: The Mediating Role of Reinforcement Sensitivity

The present research aimed to investigate the relationship between pathological personality traits and codependency considering the mediating role of reinforcement sensitivity (the behavioral inhibition and activation systems).

The research method was descriptive-correlational of structural equation modeling type. The statistical population included all women who had spouses with substance use disorder in the city of Songhor in 2021. Among them, 200 people were recruited by a convinence sampling method. In order to collect data, the Holyoake codependency index, the DSM-5 personality questionnaire, and the behavioral activation/behavioral inhibition scale were used. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling.

The results indicated that pathological personality traits had a significant direct effect on codependency, and behavioral activation/inhibition systems had a significant mediating role in this relationship. In sum, the results showed that the model had a desirable model fit.

Behavioral inhibition/activation systems have an important role in increasing or decreasing the relationship between pathological personality traits and codependency. Therefore, it is suggested to pay attention to codependency in the field of prevention, diagnosis, and therapeutic interventions.