Psychiatric hospitalization of alcoholists from rural areas in a general hospital: expectations of families.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: to know the expectations of family members of alcoholics living in rural areas under treatment in a Psychiatric Hospitalization Unit. METHOD: qualitative research, through interviews with 15 relatives of alcoholics living in rural areas and hospitalized in a Psychiatric Unit. Information was interpreted in the light of Phenomenological Sociology. RESULTS: two concrete categories emerged Expectations that the family member quits using alcohol and Projects of family members for the alcoholic after discharge. Relatives expected the alcoholic to maintain abstinence and planned post-discharge care, which involved everything from welcoming them to projects with a prospect of control or even fear of not being able to care for the alcoholic. FINAL CONSIDERATIONS most participants have positive expectations regarding psychiatric hospitalization, but some relatives are not confident about caring for the alcoholic and mentioned alternatives such as hiring a caregiver or nursing homes.