SHAME AND DEPRESSION PRONENESS AMONG FEMALE-ADULT CHILDREN OF ALCOHOLICS

Although recent clinical literature has posited that both shame and depression are important aspects in the treatment of adult children of alcoholics (ACAs), proneness to shame and depression in this group remains underexamined. This study tests the hypotheses that ACAs are more prone to shame and depression than non-ACAs. The sample consisted of 60 women-30 ACAs and 30 non-ACAs-who were 22 to 55 years old during the study period and had begun treatment within the past 6 months. The dependent measures were the Depression Proneness Rating Scale and the Adapted Shame/Guilt Scale, Female ACAs were found to be more depression prone than non-ACAs (p < .05), and the difference was not explained by any of the other variables studied. Contrary to expectations, they were not found to be more shame prone. The results are discussed as they relate to alternative hypotheses, clinical implications, and future research.