Abstract

CAMPOS, Pedro Humberto Faria  and  SOARES, Carlene Borges. Social representations of "family burden" and adhesion to mental health alternative services. Psicol. rev. (Belo Horizonte) [online]. 2005, vol.11, n.18, pp. 219-237. ISSN 1677-1168.

This study aimed at investigating the impact of overburden representation by chronic patients’ caretakers upon the levels of adhesion to alternative models proposed in opposition to the institutional- hospital model. Overburden is related to the perception of problems, difficulties or adverse events that significantly affect family life and those in charge of the patients, and corresponds to the psychological pain explicitly attributed to the patients. The participants were ten adherent and nine non-adherent caretakers. They were submitted to a semi-directive interview based on the different overburden dimensions described in the literature. Results allow us to suppose that emotional overburden is perceived as the most difficult one to cope with. They also indicate the existence of its effect on adhesion. On the other hand, other variables such as gender and social class appeared as macroregulators of the overburden.

Keywords : Family overburden; Adhesion; Alternative services; Social representations.

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