Abstract

VALDERRAMA CARDENAS, Juan Carlos; MACHADO ALVIZ, Laura Daniela  and  GONZALEZ PINZON, Lucy Liliana. The Caregiver’s Narratives: Themes, Plots and Concurrences of the Story Associated with Burden. Psicol. caribe [online]. 2020, vol.37, n.2, pp.15-30.  Epub Aug 18, 2021. ISSN 0123-417X.  https://doi.org/10.14482/psdc.37.2.150.

This research work derives from the difficulty of working with caregivers and the interest in better understanding the difficulties inherent in the role of 51 adult caregivers using CIFEL IPS enrolled in the caregiver syndrome prevention program. The objective of the study was to identify the narrative structures associated with the burden; a characterization of the participants was carried out, the Zarit Scale (EZ) was applied, and followed by workshops where the participants’ stories were collected, which were subsequently recorded in an analysis matrix. The results show that 31% of the participants have an intense burden, while in the accounts a) Recurrent themes of fatigue, hyperdemand and protection were found; b) Dominant plots in a success/failure binomial and a tragic perpetuation of the role; c) Redundant concurrences related to secondary caregivers and failed relationships. It is concluded that the structure of the caregiver story is based on the abnegation of his role, so that in the narrative the caregiver does not contemplate radical changes in his life, in addition, the role and functions of caregiver has a strong presence in the narrative identity of the person, which is related to the subjective feeling of impossibility of change. This implies reconsidering the comprehensive treatment of the patient, insofar as the mental health of the caregiver is related to the way in which the caregiver relates to his/her role.

Keywords : Caregiver; disability; family; burden; conjugality.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )