Table of Contents
Description
The Spouse Enabling Inventory (SEI) is a psychological assessment tool designed to measure behaviors associated with the enabling of alcohol use by a spouse or partner. This inventory evaluates various actions taken by individuals that may inadvertently support their partner’s alcohol consumption, thereby contributing to a cycle of dependency. It assesses the frequency of these enabling behaviors over the past six months, providing insights into the dynamics of the relationship affected by alcohol use.
Authors and Contact Email
Thomas, Yoshioka, & Ager, 1993
Contact: [email protected]
Purpose
The purpose of the Spouse Enabling Inventory (SEI) is to identify and quantify the enabling behaviors exhibited by spouses or partners of individuals with alcohol-related issues, thereby facilitating a better understanding of the role that these behaviors play in perpetuating alcohol use and abuse.
Test Year
1993
Administration Method and Scoring
The SEI is administered through self-report items that ask participants to indicate how often they engaged in specific enabling behaviors related to their partner’s alcohol consumption within the last six months. Responses are scored on a scale from 1 to 5, where 1 = Always, 2 = Frequently, 3 = Occasionally, 4 = Rarely, and 5 = Never.
Reliability and Validity
Information not available.
Factors and Subscales
The SEI includes two types of items:
Type 1: items 1, 2, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 44, 46, and 47.
Type 2: the remaining items.
Keywords
Spouse enabling, alcohol use, psychological assessment, behaviors, dependency, relationship dynamics.
Items of Spouse Enabling Inventory (SEI)
1. Told amusing stories about others who drank a lot
2. Spoken admiringly of the ability of others to hold their drink
3. Had the drinker’s car repaired after an alcohol-related accident
4. Paid fines for drunk driving offenses
5. Bailed the drinker out of jail because of a drink-related offense
6. Returned beer bottles and/or collected and washed glasses used for drinking by the drinker
7. Suggested that the drinker attend activities where alcohol was to be served
8. Invited friends over to drink
9. Gone to bars with the drinker
10. Bought alcohol and kept it in the home
11. Served alcohol with meals or snacks
12. Helped the drinker find his/her things lost while drunk
13. Provided the drinker with clean clothes after he/she soiled them due to use of alcohol
14. Gone to drinking parties with the drinker
15. Arranged parties where alcohol was served and which were attended by the drinker
16. Made hangover remedies
17. Cleaned up alcohol-related messes (e.g., spilled drinks, vomit, urine)
18. Tended to the drinker’s alcohol-related injuries
19. Put the drinker to bed when he/she has been drinking
20. Avoided social contact with friends to cover up the drinking
21. Avoided relationships with neighbors and others who might drop in, to cover up the drinking
22. Avoided social contact with the extended family to cover up the drinking
23. Encouraged children to be silent about the drinking
24. Called the drinker’s place of employment to say he/she was sick when he/she could not or would not go to work because of the drinking
25. Taken responsibility for awakening the drinker the morning after a night of drinking so that he/she would not be late for work
26. Canceled appointments and social engagements for the drinker because of his/her drinking
27. Made excuses for the drinker’s behavior when he/she was drunk or had been drinking
28. Taken responsibility for keeping his/her drinks cold (e.g., beer, wine, mixers)
29. Spoken admiringly of the drinker’s ability to hold his/her drink
30. Bought devices especially for the drinker such as shot glasses, bottle openers, drinking glasses
31. Said the drinker behaved better when drinking (e.g., easier to get along with)
32. Offered drinks to the drinker
33. Given him/her something to eat when he/she got drunk to reduce the effects of the drinking
34. Explained, justified, or made excuses to others for the drinker’s drinking
35. Explained, justified, or made excuses to others for the drinker’s drinking (duplicate item)
36. Reassured the drinker that his/her inappropriate and/or embarrassing behavior when under the influence of alcohol was not all that bad
37. Comforted the drinker about his/her feelings of guilt about drinking
38. Said to the drinker or others that the amount of alcohol drunk was less than actually was drunk
39. Softened or covered up the obvious signs of alcohol abuse (e.g., blackouts, tremors, puffy face, bloodshot eyes, hangovers)
40. Minimized the seriousness of the drinking (e.g., ignored it, said it was not a problem, said the drinker could control it when he/she could not)
41. Minimized the consequences of drinking
42. Concealed his/her drinking from others
43. Cut down on household expenses (e.g., groceries) to provide drinking money for the drinker
44. Given the drinker money for drinking
45. Consumed alcoholic beverages with the drinker
46. Told the drinker it was OK with you that he/she drank
47. Suggested the drinker that he/she have a drink
References
Healthy Marriages Compendium, Part 2
Thomas, E. J., Yoshioka, M. R., & Ager, R. D. (1996). Spouse enabling of alcohol abuse: Conception, assessment and modification. Journal of Substance Abuse, 8, 61-80.
Corcoran, K., & Fischer, J. (2000). Measures for clinical practice: A sourcebook (Vol.1). New York, NY: The Free Press.
Thomas, E. J., Yoshioka, M. R., & Ager, R. D. (2001). The Spouse Enabling Inventory (SEI). In J. Touliatos, B. F. Perlmutter, & G. W. Holden (Eds.), Handbook of family measurement techniques. Volumes 2 & 3 (2nd Ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/spouse-enabling-inventory-sei/