Minimizing Burdens and Enhancing Quality of Life Among Family Caregivers of Patients with Substance Misuse Disorders

Abstract

Background: Substance misuse disorder is a chronic relapsing disorder that affects the patients and their family caregivers, and its management is associated with severe care burdens that decrease quality of life. Aim: This study aimed to minimize burdens and enhance the quality of life among family caregivers of patients with substance misuse disorders. Design: A quasi-experimental (single group pre/posttest) design included 128 caregivers who attended with their patients diagnosed with substance misuse disorder during their follow-up visits to the addiction outpatient clinic, psychiatry center affiliated to Ain Shams University Hospitals. Tools for data collection: 1) Caregiver's Interviewing Questionnaire, 2) Family Burden Interview Schedule (FBIS), 3) World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire (WHOQoL). Results: There was a highly statistically significant relation regarding minimizing burdens among family caregivers of patients with substance misuse disorder, in post-test p<0.001 as compared to the pre-program implementation phase including financial burden, disruption of routine family activities, disruption of family leisure, disruption of family interactions, effect on the physical and mental health of caregivers. Moreover, there were statistically significant positive correlations between types of burdens and quality of life domains in mean score pre-and post-program implementation among family caregivers of patients with substance misuse disorder under study. Conclusions: Burdens among family caregivers of patients with substance misuse disorder have been minimized post-program implementation as compared to the pre-program. Furthermore, minimizing burdens improved the quality-of-life domains post-program implementation among family caregivers of patients with substance misuse disorder under study. Recommendations: Designing and Implementing psychiatric nursing intervention programs for family caregivers of patients with substance misuse disorder in private and other governmental hospitals, in rural as well as urban communities to improve their quality of life. Conduct a further study to evaluate the impact of counseling programs on drug-addicted patients' treatment, relapse, and quality of life.