title: Family burden with substance dependence: a study from India.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A substance dependent person in the family affects almost all aspects of family life. This leads to problems, difficulties or adverse events which impact the lives of family members and causes enormous burden on family caregivers. The present study aimed to assess the pattern of burden borne by the family caregivers of men with alcohol and opioid dependence.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was conducted with ICD-10 diagnosed substance dependence subjects and their family caregivers attending a de-addiction centre at a multispecialty teaching hospital in north India. Family Burden Interview Schedule was used to assess the pattern of burden borne by the family caregivers of 120 men with alcohol and/or opioid dependence.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared to opioid and alcohol+opioid dependence groups, more often the alcohol dependence group was older, married, currently working, having a higher income and with the wife as a caregiver. Family burden was moderate or severe in 95-100 per cent cases in all three groups and more for 'disruption of family routine', 'financial burden', 'disruption of family interactions' and 'disruption of family leisure'. Family burden was associated with low income and rural location. It was associated neither with age, education or duration of dependence of the patients, nor with family size, type of caregiver or caregiver's education and occupation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Almost all (95-100%) caregivers reported a moderate or severe burden, which indicates the gravity of the situation and the need for further work in this area.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education & Research, Chandigarh, India. skmattoo@ymail.com
authors.forename: Surendra Kumar
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Mattoo
authors.forename: Naresh
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nebhinani
authors.forename: B N Anil
authors.initials: BN
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: Debasish
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Basu
authors.forename: Parmanand
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kulhara
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D017028:Caregivers; D017281:Cost of Illness; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires