O impacto do suporte social nas problemáticas aditivas

: a perceção do doente

Abstract

The present report intends to describe and analyze my learning evolution throughout the internship carried during the Masters Course in Mental Health and Psychiatric Nursing. Therefore the skills acquired and developed in nursing care of patients with additive behaviors and dependencies will be highlighted. Throughout this work two instruments were used: a sociodemographic inquiry and a scale – Escala de Satisfação com o Suporte Social that measures the perception of social support. The final sample studied was composed of fifty-four (54) individuals, seven (7) females and forty-seven (47) males. Data was collected from twenty-nine (29) individuals in treatment at Ponte da Pedra Therapeutic Community and twenty five (25) users in treatment at Cleanic Therapeutic Community. All these individuals had in common their dependency of psychoactive substances (licit and illicit). Additive problems are one of the mental disorders common throughout the world, with harmful consequences not only for the patient with addictive behaviors, but also for all those who are part of their social support. Its treatment is characterized by complexity, since it involves biological, psychological and social dimensions. Intervention in addictive behaviors faces numerous challenges, requiring a multidisciplinary health team, whose focus is especially oriented towards the stabilization and re-education of this patients. Each health professional collaborates to develop personal and social skills of the individual´s ensuring: (I) psychic autonomy of drug dependents, so that they can choose and take free and responsible decisions; (II) the socio-professional autonomy so that they can build a new drug-free life project in order to be autonomous, free and independent citizens and to participate conscientiously and responsibly in all fields of his personal and social life. This paper will also present the results of the study on the impact of social support on addictive issues, from the perspective patient´s perspective. One such point out that 63% of the total interviewees (54) qualitatively evaluated their perception of social support as being in the middle category. It is also worth noting that during the collection of information and in informal moments of interaction with these individuals, a large number of them expressed a desire to be able to interact more frequently with those close to them (family and friends), revealing that in this impossibility they experience feelings of loneliness.

Date of Award	16 May 2018
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Aida Fernandes (Supervisor)