Caregiver burden and associated factors among patients with substance use disorder at Saint Paul's Hospital Millennium Medical College, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background: A family member with Substance Use Disorder (SUD) significantly influences various aspects of family life. These costs families face are known as family burden. There are limited numbers of studies on the extent of the burden. As a result, it is crucial to assess the caregiver burden to enable healthcare professionals to offer essential psychological and clinical support. Objective: To investigate caregiver burden among patients with SUD and associated factors at SPHMMC Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Methods: An institutional-based cross sectional study was conducted from September to December to October 2024 G.C at SPHMMC. The sample size was 387 caregivers of patients with SUD who were selected by using a systematic random sampling technique. Family burden interview schedule (FBIS) was used to assess burden of caregivers. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26. Simple and multivariate linear regressions were used to identify factors associated with the outcome variable. The p values of < 0.05 were declared statistically significant. Results out of 387 caregiver, 246 (63.6%) had severe objective burden and 300 (77.5%) had severe subjective burden. Duration of illness, the time spent caring for the patient, the number of substances involved, caregivers' income levels and the history of previous admissions were significantly associated with caregiver burden. Conclusion and recommendation The study showed that more than half (63.6%) of the studied participants had severe objective burden. Caregiver’s burden should be considered in every step of therapeutic process of patient. Future research should carry out longitudinal studies to further investigate. Furthermore, Stakeholders are encouraged to create early intervention initiatives and establish support groups for caregivers Keywords: Substance use disorder, caregivers burden, SPHMMC, Ethiopia