Evaluation of Resilience, Quality of Life and Depression in Family Members of Alcohol/Substance Dependent Patients

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare resilience, quality of life, and depression levels in family members of patients suffering from dependence with a control group and to assess the relationship between resilience, quality of life, depression, and clinical features in family members. Method: The sample consisted of 41 female participants who had a family member with a history of at least one year of alcohol or substance dependence with outpatient and/or inpatient treatment and 41 female participants with no history of psychiatric admission or treatment matched to the family members by age, length of education, and marital status. Written informed consent was obtained from all participants and a sociodemographic data form, the Resilience Scale for Adults (RSA), the Short Form-36 (SF-36), and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were administered. Results: Levels of resilience and quality of life were lower and levels of depression were higher in family members of alcohol or substance-dependent individuals compared to the control group. Depression scores were negatively correlated with resilience and quality of life scores. Resilience was positively correlated with all subscale scores for quality of life except general health. In family members, there were positive correlations between the duration of dependence and the scores on the family cohesion subscale and between the number of substance withdrawal periods and structured style subscale scores. With regard to family members’ resilience and quality of life, levels in siblings were higher compared to those of mothers and spouses, whereas the depression levels were higher in mothers compared to siblings of alcohol or substance-dependent patients. There was no difference between the scores for the family cohesion dimension among family members. Conclusion: Strengthening resilience is important for understanding, preventing, and treating psychiatric conditions. Resilience is a dynamic concept that can be learned and improved; therefore, resilience-enhancing programs may be beneficial in improving the quality of life and alleviating the level of depression in family members of dependent patients.