Abstract

LAHAM, Cláudia Fernandes et al. The use of the “Escala Diagnóstica Adaptativa Operacionalizada (EDAO)” at the domicile: a descriptive study. Psicol. hosp. (São Paulo) [online]. 2009, vol.7, n.1, pp. 68-87. ISSN 1677-7409.

For patients with chronic diseases, domiciliary assistance (DA) is a field of activity for a number of professionals in the health area, including the psychologist. This study aimed at describing the application of the diagnostic test “Escala Diagnóstica Adaptativa Operacionalizada” (EDAO) in the psychological evaluation of patients with chronic disease, in a university hospital’s home-care program including caregivers; classifying the types of adaptation they reported. Twenty-four individuals from a DA program had been interviewed: ten patients and fourteen caregivers. The collected data was classified in accordance with the EDAO: four individuals with efficient adaptation, four with light, inefficacious adaptation, fourteen with moderately inefficacious adaptation and two with severely inefficacious adaptation. It is strongly recommended that the individuals included in the last two groups undergo psychological treatment. The EDAO appeared to be an interesting instrument to aid in research on the psychological evaluation of this population.

Keywords : Chronic disease; Psychology; Adaptation; Home care; Caregivers.