Cuidadores de familiares com doenças crônicas: estratégias de enfrentamento utilizadas no cotidiano

Abstract

Abstract Introduction: Caring for a family member with a disease causes an adverse daily life involving suffering for the caregiver. The literature on occupational therapy does not debate coping strategies that caregivers adopt with family members with chronic illness, or how perceptions about the role played interfere with occupations and projects. Objective: To characterize the caregivers’ coping ways in daily life after a month of hospital discharge from a family member with chronic noncommunicable disease (NCDs) and to identify the perception they elaborate about themselves. Method: Descriptive study with qualitative-quantitative approach and cross-sectional design composed of 30 family caregivers of familiar members with NCDs followed in medical ward of a general hospital. Instruments used were sociodemographic questionnaire, Barthel index, Coping Mode Scale, and semi-structured questionnaire. Quantitative data analysis was performed with descriptive statistics, analysis of variance (ANOVA) test for repeated measurements, and Duncan and Tukey tests. The thematic content analysis was used to treat qualitative data. Results: The main modes of coping used were focused on the problem and on religious-fantastical thoughts. Participants expressed “feelings about everyday problems”, pointing to the positive perception of the beneficial feelings of care, but also a negative perception of changes in occupational life. The “coping strategies” of the participants were the accomplishment of “pleasurable activities, spirituality, and search for informal social support” that contributed to alleviate the problems experienced. Conclusion: Characterized the coping strategies of family caregivers with NCDs, highlighting how complex the experience of being a caregiver.