Caregiver burden on wives of substance-dependent husbands and its correlates at a Tertiary Care Centre in Northern India.

Abstract

Substance dependence is well recognized as a complex biopsychosocial phenomenon. Complications arising out of it not only impairs life of substance-dependent patient but also causes enormous burden on their caregivers. Little attention has been paid to the relationship between caregiver burden and substance use. The study was conducted to assess and compare the quantum of burden on wives of alcohol and heroin-dependent patients and also to determine the correlation between sociodemographic factors and caregiver burden. A cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary care center of North India to compare burden on wives of alcohol and heroin dependent husbands. Burden was assessed using burden assessment schedule (Sell et al.). Data obtained were analyzed using SPSS software. Wives of both alcohol and heroin dependent patients had moderate-to-high burden of caregiving (Score of 38.1 out of maximum 60), those of heroin dependent patients perceived more burden in the factors of "impact on marital relationship," "appreciation of caregiving," "impact on relation with others," and overall burden as compared to wives of alcohol-dependent patients. Significant negative correlation was found between "impact on marital relationship," "appreciation of caregiving," and "impact on relation with others" scores and patients' education status as well as between "appreciation of caregiving" score and wives' age where higher score denotes more burden. Significant burden exists on wives of substance-dependent patients; thus management plans must be devised aiming not only patients but also wives so as to reduce burden.