Quality of Life of Caregivers of Addicts

American Society of Addiction Medicine defined Addiction as a treatable, chronic medical disease involving complex interactions among brain circuits, genetics, the environment, and an individual's life experiences. People with addiction use substances or engage in behaviors that become compulsive and often continue despite harmful consequences.

Addiction is considered as a "family disease." Addiction affects the individual as well as those around them in terms of occupational and social dysfunction, physical and emotional distress, and financial burden which has a serious impact on the lives of the significant others.

Addiction is a multifaceted problem- it negatively alters the quality of life of not only addicts but also the family members who live with them. Caregiving to an individual suffering from addiction is physically, mentally, socially and emotionally challenging. These caregivers are most burdened as the assistance they provide is multidimensional.

The Quality of Life Group of the World Health Organization (WHO) Division of Mental Health has defined QOL as "an individual's perception of their position in life in the context of the culture and value system in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards, and concerns " .

Family members are not all equally affected and they suffer in different degrees based on their closeness to the addict and distance from the addict's behavior. Most of the time, a member of the family assumes the role of caregiver, and he or she is most burdened from this process.

The Family Caregiver Alliance (2014) defines family (or informal) caregivers as "any relative, partner, friend, or neighbor who has a significant personal relationship with, and provides a broad range of assistance for, an older person or an adult with a chronic or disabling condition" .

Researchers have described addiction as one of the significant causes of family destruction and disturbed relationship.Family relationships are at risk owing to addiction and associated hazards. Researches addressing the health issues of families have reported numerous mental health problems among children and spouses of addicts. A study has depicted children of addict fathers experiencing depression, anxiety and hypomania. Children of addicts also suffered from different internalised and externalised problem in men.

However, published studies on family caregivers of addicts are limited. This study aimed to evaluate QOL and psychiatric symptoms in family caregivers of addicts.

Eligibility Criteria:
Inclusion Criteria:

* As defined by The Family Caregiver Alliance (2014) "any relative, partner, friend, or neighbor who has a significant personal relationship with, and provides a broad range of assistance for, an older person or an adult with a chronic or disabling condition" .
* aged ≥18 years old.
* being a family caregiver for more than three months (considered the minimum time for the caregivers to be able to feel the effects of care).
* living or residing near the drug-dependent.

Exclusion Criteria:

* who stopped living in the city
* the presence of previous psychiatric illness and caregiver who was also addicts. • Refuse to participate in the research