[Psychological distress and psychotropic drugs as perceived by elderly women and their aides during loss of autonomy: qualitative and quantitative perspective].
Using qualitative data and quantitative measures of psychological distress, this research examines attitudes towards psychotropic drug use among 14 home care recipients and their caregivers. It relates these attitudes to the type of family support provided and the women's level of mental health (both self-reported and attributed to the aged drug user by the caregiver). Four categorical themes--"it's a habit", "it's useful and under control", "it keeps her under control", and "what drug use?"--describe the types of attitudes of caregivers towards psychotropic drug use by the elderly women they care for. These themes are associated with the level of congruence between self-reported and caregiver-ascribed scores of mental health. The results, although exploratory, indicate that a large divergence between self-reported and caregiver-ascribed scores of psychological distress was associated with caregivers' attitudes of indifference or resignation towards drug use. The drug is perceived as necessary not only by the user but also by the overworked caregiver, who sees it as a way of lightening her burden. From a clinical perspective, our findings indicate that the influence of caregivers needs to be taken into account in any effort to reduce or stop chronic psychotropic drug use by elderly users.
Pérodeau
Guilhème
G
Université du Québec en Outaouais.
Paradis
Isabelle
I
Ducharme
Francine
F
Cohen
David
D
Collin
Johanne
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001290:Attitude; D001294:Attitude to Health; D017028:Caregivers; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology*; D004358:Drug Therapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D011619:Psychotropic Drugs