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Abstract
Objective: To determine the prevalence of depression among the caregivers of substance use disorder patients
Methods: This is a descriptive case study conducted in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center (JPMC), Karachi, through a convenience sampling technique from 27th December, 2024 to 26th April 2025. All adult caregivers who are involved in taking care of patients with substance use (any type) disorder of either gender, irrespective of their age, and those who consent to participate were included. HAM-D criteria applied to diagnose and scale the level of depression for caregivers.
Results: Out of 110 participants, the overall mean age was 38.28±14.11 years, and among them, most of the participants were males (n = 94, 85.45%). The most common type of substance abuse was the use of ice/crystal (31.81%, n = 35) followed by cannabis (26.36%, n = 29), opioid/heroin (23.63%, n = 26), and alcohol (18.18%, n = 20). The history of psychiatric illness among caregivers of substance abuse disorder patients was 5.45% (n = 06). The overall prevalence of depression among caregivers of substance abuse disorder patients was 16.36% (n = 18). Among them, most of the caregivers had sub-threshold levels of depression (7.27%, n = 8) while severe depression was observed in 1.82% (n = 2) of the health care givers.
Conclusion: The findings underscore the significant mental health burden experienced by these caregivers and highlight the need for targeted interventions and support services to promote their well-being.