Abstract

BESSA, Fernanda Borges; BANDEIRA, Marina; POLLO, Tatiana Cury  and  OLIVEIRA, Daniela Carine Ramires de. Burden and depressive symptomatology in family caregivers of people dependent on alcohol and other drugs. Gerais, Rev. Interinst. Psicol. [online]. 2020, vol.13, n.2, pp.1-19. ISSN 1983-8220.  https://doi.org/10.36298/gerais202013e14705.

This study evaluated the subjective burden and depressive symptomatology in family caregivers of patients with alcohol and other drugs dependence. Fifty family members of patients from a philanthropic institution for the treatment of substance abuse were interviewed. The Burden Interview for overload assessment scale, the Beck Depression Inventory and a sociodemographic and clinical questionnaire were used. Most family members had a burden between mild to moderate and severe, and approximately half had depressive symptoms between mild and severe. The predictors of depressive symptomatology identified by multiple linear regression analysis, were: first, the degree of burden and, then, the variables: low income, not living with a partner, negative assessment of the relationship with the patient and greater number of problematic patient behaviors. These results indicate the need for services to develop psychosocial interventions that reduce the degree of burden on family caregivers and improve the relationship with patients, in order to prevent the development of depressive symptoms.

Keywords : Family caregivers; Burden; Depression; Dependence on psychoactive substances; Services evaluation.

        · abstract in Portuguese     · text in Portuguese     · Portuguese ( pdf )