Clinical indicators of the dysfunctional family processes nursing diagnosis in alcoholics: an integrative review

Abstract

ABSTRACT

Alcoholism is a public health problem that affects the alcoholic and his/her family, and, thus, requires nursing care. An integrative literature review was performed with the objective to investigate the scientific evidence regarding the defining characteristics of the nursing diagnosis dysfunctional family processes in alcoholics. The search on the LILACS, PubMed, Scopus and CINAHL databases, by crossing the keywords alcoolismo/alcoholism, enfermagem/nursing and família/family, resulted in thirteen articles. The most common defining behavioral characteristics were alcohol abuse and verbal abuse, those of roles and relationships were conjugal problems and economic problems, and those of feelings were depression and insecurity. The also study identified characteristics present in the alcoholic family that are not listed on NANDA International. These findings help guide nurses in the clinical judgment and point at the need for more studies with a view to analyzing and validating the diagnosis.

Descriptors: Alcoholism; Nursing Diagnosis; Nursing; Family; Family Relations.