Revista Internacional de Saúde Mental e Psiquiatria

Caregivers Burden of Patients With Alcohol Use Disorder: Comparison Between Spouse and Other Caregivers

Atul Bhardwaj

Background: Caregivers are individuals who carry the responsibility for the physical and emotional needs of another, who is incapable of self-care. Burden is described by the presence of issues, difficulties, or adverse events which affect the lives of the psychiatric patient’s family or friends in other words their caregivers. Identification of caregivers who are burdened by the caregiving experience is significant for the prevention of problems associated with caregiving especially in case of spouses. The Caregiver Burden Inventory (CBI), a wellknown measure of care giving burden with a distinct domain structure is used to study burden of the caregivers of patients with alcohol use disorder. Purpose:Alcohol dependency is a "family disease." Alcohol de pendence affects both the person and others around them in terms of jobs and social instability. The other aspects affecting the family include physical and emotional pain, and financial strain that ha ve a major effect on the liveso significant others.A significant re search emphasis remains on the mental and physical health of caregivers, theirsocial support system, coping mechanisms, an d levels of stress and burden. The purpose of this study is to an alyse and compare the burden of patients with alcohol use diso rder using CBI between spouses and other caregivers Methods: A total of 100 primary caregivers of patients with alcohol use disorder completed survey questionnaires. Caregiving burden was measured by the CBI. The diagnosis of alcohol use disorder was made in accordance to the DSM 5 criteria. Results: Severe Burden was seen in the spouse caregivers as compared to other relations. Conclusion: The findings provide evidence that spouse of patients with alcohol use disorder experienced severe burden as compared to others.