La carga familiar de los cuidadores de personas jóvenes y adultas diagnosticadas de discapacidad intelectual y trastorno mental: una revisión sistemática

This paper collects and analyses the published information on the family burden of caregivers of young and adult people with intellectual disability and mental disorders. The aim of this study is to compile and promote research into this subject. A selection has been made of existing studies that refer to the factors that contribute to a greater family burden, such as clinical and diagnostic variables, psychological and social factors, as well as those factors that tend to reduce the family burden. A bibliographic research has been carried out in the databases MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Social Services s and PSICODOC bases using the following terms: intellectual disability, mental disorder, family burden, and adult. A total of 99 studies were found, 8 of which were selected for review. The results demonstrate that the family burden is more prevalent when it is associated with comorbidity between intellectual disability and psychiatric disorder. Moreover the family burden has emotional, psychological, social, and health repercussions on the caregivers. The analysed studies emphasise the need of further research in order to broaden the investigation at a clinical and diagnostic level, so that early detection and appropriate treatment are prioritised. This should also be at a psychosocial level, which would help to identify the needs and the support aimed at reducing the overall family burden perceived by the caregivers.