Caregiver-Patient Dynamics in Alcohol Use Disorders: A Cross-Sectional Study

Informal caregiving for individuals with alcohol use disorders (AUDs) is associated with substantial psychological and social burden. Caregivers frequently experience stress, emotional distress and reduced quality of life. However, their sociodemographic and psychological profiles are not well defined. Furthermore, the relationship between caregiver characteristics and patients' alcohol consumption remains insufficiently explored, particularly in psychiatric inpatient settings.

This study aimed to examine the sociodemographic and psychological profiles of caregivers of male psychiatric inpatients with AUDs and to explore associations between caregiver characteristics and patients' alcohol consumption.

A cross-sectional study was conducted between March 2023 and September 2024 at the "Prof. Dr. Alexandru Obregia" Clinical Psychiatric Hospital in Bucharest. Eighty-three caregivers of male psychiatric inpatients with AUDs were recruited during patient admissions to a specialized ward, corresponding to 83 matched patients. Caregiver data included sociodemographic characteristics and standardized assessments of depression, anxiety, stress, coping strategies and perceived burden. Patient data included sociodemographic characteristics, alcohol consumption measures and stage of change.

The majority of caregivers were female (73.5%) and aged 41-50 or over 60 years, with most (78.3%) living in urban areas. High psychological distress was reported: 86.7% experienced moderate to severe depression, 98.8% anxiety and 86.8% stress. Significant associations were found between caregiver demographics and psychological indicators (p < 0.05). Patient alcohol consumption correlated significantly with caregiver depression (p = 0.005) and stress (p = 0.014), but not with anxiety, coping or burden.

Higher caregiver depression and stress are linked to increased patient alcohol intake. Mental health support for caregivers should be integrated into withdrawal management to improve patient outcomes.