1. The Distress Inventory of Partners of Substance Abusers (DIPSA)
Bentley Hess, M.A. & Nicholas Noviello, Ph.D., California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University
Introduction
Substance abuse is among one of the most pressing public health concerns in the United States, often resulting in considerable negative consequences not only for those afflicted but also for their families and relationships. Substance abuse can greatly contribute to relationship distress because of different spousal expectations, values, patterns of social interaction and behaviors, conflict between partners about the substance use, and the stress of living with a substance-using partner. Little research and attention has been addressed on the impact of the distress for the partner of the substance abuser. The present study began the development of an instrument, the DIPSA (Distress Inventory for Partners of Substance Abusers), intended to measure the distress of a partner of a substance abuser. This instrument will be beneficial in determining if and in what context the partner of a substance abuser is being negatively affected. Through identification and measuring the distress that the individual is experiencing as a result of their partners’ substance abuse, proper care and treatment for the individual can be sought. .
Statement of Problem
The purpose of the present study was to create an instrument that measures the level of distress experienced by the partner of a substance abuser. Partners of substance abusers can experience great emotional turmoil in conjunction with their partner’s addiction. Spousal substance abuse has been shown to be the most frequently reported and highest ranked stressor in a relationship (Mantogomery & Jahnson, 1991). Addiction results in high rates of separation and divorces (Crowley, 1998). Unfortunately, nearly the majority of family studies of individuals who abused psychoactive substances ignored the spousal system and instead focused on the family of origin (e.g., parents, siblings, and grandparents) (Abolmagd et al., 2004). This has resulted in a lack of research and knowledge on what the partner of the substance abuser experiences, as well as the level of distress one encounters during the relationship.
Hypotheses
The DIPSA scale will have satisfactory internal consistency.
2. Level of distress (as measured by the DIPSA total score) will be positively correlated with level of distress as measured by the Impact of Event Scale (IES).
3. Level of distress (as measured by the DIPSA total score) will be positively correlated with level of codependency as measured by the Spann-Fischer Codependency Scale.
Participants
106 participants (18 males and 88 females), over the age of 21, residing within the United States who had a past or present intimate relationship with a substance abuser.
Instruments
The instruments utilized in this study included the Distressed Inventory for Partners of Substance Abusers (DIPSA), The Impact of Event Scale (IES) (Horowitz, Wilner, & Alvarez, 1979), The Spann-Fischer Codependency Scale (Spann, Fischer, Crawford, 1991), and a short demographic questionnaire.
Methods
This study utilized an exploratory, non-experimental, correlational design. The participants were recruited using a non-random sample of convenience. The data was collected using online self-report questionnaires via Survey Monkey. A principal components analysis was conducted on 131 items from the item pool in creation of the DIPSA for the present study. Additionally, a Pearson Product-moment correlation was computed to assess the relationship between the DIPSA total score and distress and codependency.
Results
Reliability analyses demonstrated that the DIPSA had high internal consistency reliability, as evidenced by a Cronbach’s alpha equal to, or higher than, .85 ( = .943). Pearson’s correlations revealed level of distress (as measured by the DIPSA total score) was not significantly related to level of distress as measured by the Impact of Event Scale (IES) although the relationship was positive, it was weak (r = .190, n = 80, p = .092). Level of distress (as measured by the DIPSA total score) was positively correlated with level of codependency as measured by the Spann-Fischer Codependency Scale (r = .588, n = 77, p = .000).
A principal components analysis with varimax rotation revealed one main component, termed General Distress, which explained 16% of the variance (eigenvalue = 21.6) among the items, and seven additional interpretable components emerged with eigenvalues ranging from 4.4 to These explained an additional 28% of the variance. The eight components that emerged were labeled: General Distress; Self Destruction; Codependency; Family of Origin Abuse; Awareness or Denial of a Problematic Relationship; Relationship Dependency; Relationship Turmoil and Catastrophic Thinking. Preliminary scales were developed based on the markers for each of the eight components. The number of items on each preliminary scale ranged from two to seven. Cronbach’s alpha values ranged from .753 to .943.
Scree Plot :
Conclusion
The promising results of this study, along with the fact that there is not currently a developed scale to assess distress in the partners of substance abusers, provide the impetus for the continuation of the DIPSA development. The DIPSA has intent for both clinical and research utility as it can be used to evaluate levels of distress in mental health settings pertaining to addiction and family member relationships. It could also be an important tool for family therapists by providing important assessment information. If a score on the DIPSA suggests that a partner of a substance abuser is in distress, specific areas for focus of treatment may be suggested. Clinically, this could provide baseline information to therapists working in substance abuse with couples and/or individuals involved with substance abusers.
References
Abolmagd, S., Erfan, S.M.F., Wahab, M., & Gawad, T.M.S. (2004) Role of the spouse in addiction: Is there a contribution. Egyptian Journal of Psychiatry, 23,
Clark, L. & Watson, D (1995). Constructing validity: basic issues in objective scale development. Psychological Assessment, 7(3),
DeVellis, R. F. (2003). Scale development: Theory and applications (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Mantogomery P. & Jahnson B. (1991): The stress of marriage to an alcoholic. Journal of Psychology Mental Health Service, 10,
Acknowledgments
We would like to thank Mardi Horowitz, Ph.D for his permission to use the Impact of Event Scale (IES); Judith Fischer, Ph.D. for her permission to use the Spann-Fischer Codependency Scale; and Terece Bell, Ph.D. for all of her contribution and aid in developing the DIPSA.
For more information contact Bentley Hess at