Abstract
Objective: To investigate the relationship between co-dependency and mental health functioning with relation to gender of parents with intellectually disabled children.
Methodology: In this correlational study, 41 parents were recruited from an institute that provided education to intellectually disabled children. Mental health functioning was measured through the Depression-Stress-Anxiety Scale-21 (DASS-21), while the co-dependency was measured through the Spann-Fischer co-dependency scale. The data were analysed using SPSS version 23. Pearson Product Moment Correlation and ANCOVA were used to determine if there was a strong correlation between co-dependency and mental health functioning.
Results: Mean age of 41 parent was 35.98±7.19 years and mean age of children was 8.2±2.51 years. Co-dependency scores ranged from 39 to 85 (Σ =60.66±10.27); the 16 items pertaining to co-dependency had a Cronbach alpha value of 0.636. The subscales of depression, stress and anxiety had 7 items each with Cronbach alphas of 0.603, 0.358 and 0.344, respectively.
Conclusion: There was significant positive correlation between co-dependency and the three aspects of mental health functioning. Gender was found to not be a valid predictor of mental health functioning when the scores of co-dependency were controlled for.

Key words: : Co-dependency, mental health functioning, intellectually disabled children.