Perceived Stressors and Support in Family Caregivers of Individuals With Opioid Use Disorder

Abstract

Abstract Stress experienced by family caregivers of individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD) contributes to caregiver burden. To understand the stressors experienced by family caregivers of individuals with OUD and the factors that influence their personal resiliency, data were collected from a convenience sample of family caregivers who answered two open-ended questions about sources of stress and factors that affect their personal resilience as part of an online survey. Yin's thematic analysis revealed five objective and two subjective burden themes and four resilience themes. Results indicate OUD places significant burden on families and may contribute to decreased physical and mental well-being in caregivers. Caregivers who perceived adequate support were able to use their experience and innate knowledge to cope and emerge with more resilience. Results of this study support the need for translational research to increase resilience and coping in this population of caregivers.