A Study to Assess Burden on Caregivers of Opioid Use Disorder

Abstract

Background: Substance use disorder is global problem associated with significant socio-occupational dysfunction. It has been increasingly realized that it should be conceptualized as affecting a family and not just an individual. This study aimed at assessing the caregivers’ burden in opioid dependence in a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital in Punjab. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study where the sample comprised 50 patients diagnosed with opioid dependence, as per the International Classification of Diseases-10 criteria and their 50 caregivers. The caregivers’ burden was assessed with the help of the Montgomery Borgatta Caregiving Burden Scale, which is a subject-rated scale. Results: Most of the patients (54%) as well as the caregivers (30%) were 21–30 years of age, with male predominance and belonged to rural area, were unmarried, living in a nuclear family, and had a middle socioeconomic status. Most of the patients (88%) reported consuming “Heroin” and 64% reported using two or more than two substances. The mean age of first use of opioid was found out to be 21.8 years, the mean duration of the illness was 8.04 years, and the mean number of relapses was 2.94. About 58% of caregivers had moderate objective burden, 98% had severe subjective burden, and 78% had severe subjective demand burden. Conclusions: There is an urgent need to target the community awareness programs at the adolescent age group and a need to focus on the family rather than the individual patient, in the backdrop of the findings of this study.