Institute of Psychology, University of Hildesheim, Universitätsplatz 1, 31141, Hildesheim, Germany.
BMC Psychol. 2024 Aug 21;12(1):448. doi: 10.1186/s40359-024-01940-1.
Living in a family with a history of problematic substance use or dementia is a major stressful experience for family members and results often in an impaired health condition. Seeking and receiving social support has been emphasized as a major resource while coping with this stress. However, especially family members of people with problematic substance use often refrain from help-seeking. This paper examines whether (1) family members of problematic substance users are more physically and psychologically distressed than caregivers of people with dementia, and (2) whether and to what extent differences are mediated by satisfaction with perceived professional and private social support.
Two samples of family members of people with a chronic disease (problematic substance use (n = 221), dementia (n = 322)) completed self-administered questionnaires on burden, quality of life and social support. Physical distress was assessed using the Giessen Subjective Complaints List, psychological distress using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale and anxiety symptoms using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Quality of life was measured using the WHOQOL-BREF, and satisfaction with professional and private social support was assessed using a visual analog scale. Multivariate analyses of variance were performed to compare the two groups on the means of (1) burden ratings and (2) QoL dimensions and followed up by discriminant analyses to explore meaningful variables according to group differences. Parallel mediation analyses were performed to test the mediators private and professional support.
Family members of problematic substance users score higher on the burden indicators, while they score lower with regard to the quality of life dimensions than caregivers of people with dementia. The difference in burden is mainly explained by the higher scores for exhaustion, stomach discomfort and depression of family members of problematic substance users. Caregivers of people with dementia reported greater satisfaction with perceived social support, either private or professional. Satisfaction with private support was shown to be more important in mediating the impact of stress.
Family members of people with problematic substance use are in great need of tailored support programs and should be explicitly targeted.
生活在一个有问题的物质使用或痴呆病史的家庭中，对于家庭成员来说是一种主要的压力体验，往往导致健康状况受损。在应对这种压力时，寻求和获得社会支持已被强调为主要资源。然而，特别是有问题的物质使用者的家庭成员，往往避免寻求帮助。本文探讨了以下两个问题：（1）有问题的物质使用者的家庭成员是否比痴呆症患者的照顾者身体和心理上更痛苦；（2）以及满意度是否以及在何种程度上通过感知专业和私人社会支持来调解差异。
两个慢性疾病（有问题的物质使用（n=221），痴呆（n=322））家庭成员样本完成了关于负担、生活质量和社会支持的自我管理问卷。身体困扰使用吉森主观抱怨清单评估，心理困扰使用流行病学研究抑郁量表评估，焦虑症状使用医院焦虑和抑郁量表评估。生活质量使用世卫组织生活质量量表-BREF 进行测量，专业和私人社会支持的满意度使用视觉模拟量表进行评估。进行多元方差分析，以比较两组（1）负担评定和（2）QoL 维度的平均值，然后进行判别分析，根据组间差异探索有意义的变量。进行平行中介分析，以检验私人和专业支持的中介物。
有问题的物质使用者的家庭成员在负担指标上得分较高，而在生活质量维度上得分较低。负担差异主要归因于有问题的物质使用者家庭成员的疲惫、胃部不适和抑郁评分较高。痴呆症患者的照顾者报告对感知社会支持（无论是私人的还是专业的）的满意度更高。私人支持的满意度被证明在调解压力的影响方面更为重要。
有问题的物质使用者的家庭成员非常需要量身定制的支持计划，应该明确针对他们。
