Victor V. Bocharov

Background. The issue of caring for chronically and seriously ill patients is becoming increasingly relevant all over the world. Relatives caring for such patients typically perform a significant number of functions to maintain the well-being of their ailing loved ones and are often exposed to significant psychological distress or even trauma during the caregiving process. Various tools have been developed to assess such distress, family burden, and burnout among relatives of chronically ill patients. At the same time, there is an acute shortage of tools for assessing the constructive aspects of the transformation of an individual’s values, beliefs and meanings under conditions of chronic stress. One such tool, which allows for the simultaneous assessment of both positive and negative changes in mental functioning resulting from exposure to traumatic events, is the “Posttraumatic Growth and Posttraumatic Depreciation Inventory - Expanded version” (PTGDI-X).

Objective. To define the factor structure and psychometric characteristics of the Russian-language version of the PTGDI-X.

Design. The sample consisted of 404 Russian-speaking informal caregivers (M age = 48.95 years, SD = 13.3; 89 males and 315 females). A quantitative approach with non-experimental, cross-sectional design and instrumental scope.

Results. Analysis of the factor structure using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) indicates that the models of Posttraumatic Growth (PTG) and Posttraumatic Depreciation (PTD) fit the empirical data and confirms the construct validity of the analyzed version of the questionnaire. A significant inverted U-shaped quadratic relationship was found between the scores on the overall PTG scale and the overall PTD scale. The Russian-language version of the questionnaire demonstrated good psychometric characteristics in terms of reliability (Cronbach’s alpha coefficients were .956 for the PTG-total and .942 for the PTD-total scales; McDonald’s omega values were .964 and .952, respectively), internal construct validity, and convergent and divergent cross-validity.

Conclusion. The Russian-language version of the PTGDI-X can be used to study posttraumatic growth and depreciation arising in individuals in various stressful and psychologically traumatic situations.

Background. Relatives of patients with addictive disorders often face significant difficulties in their daily lives. Although the burnout concept is currently considered a significant and promising theoretical framework for studying family members who care for chronically ill patients, its application has encountered considerable difficulties in the area of addiction treatment.

Objective. This article explores the methodology for studying the psychological issues arising in families affected by addictive disorders. We analyzed the social, economic, and cultural conditions of the different study models developed in this field, and identified the difficulties hindering the acceptance of the burnout concept as a theoretical construct for investigation.

Results. There are several main obstacles to the burnout concept’s application to studying the psychology of addictive patients’ families. These obstacles are: 1) a stigmatizing attitude toward the relatives, labelling them as dysfunctional/codependent, or merely passive recipients adjusting to stressful and challenging circumstances; 2) a sole focus on the destructive elements of the “informal caregiver – addicted patient” relationship dynamics; 3) underestimation of relatives’ willingness, experience, and knowledge in the care of their addicted family member and failure to recognize their right to participate in treatment decision-making; and 4) lack of specialized tools for assessing burnout and its opposite pole – the engagement of addicts’ relatives during the patients’ care.

Conclusion. Application of the burnout concept as a theoretical framework allows us to reformulate many psychopathological phenomena described in the family members of addicts, and expands the perspective of psychotherapy by providing the opportunity to conduct interventions to improve relatives’ functioning as caregivers. This, in turn, will contribute to the effectiveness of treatment outcomes for both addicts and their families.