Uma visão analítico-comportamental sobre cuidadoras informais de idosos de alta dependência.

Abstract

The text explains that the Elderly Statute guarantees fundamental rights to people aged 60 and over, emphasizing the responsibility of families and society in promoting their well-being. As the elderly population grows, the role of caregivers—often untrained family members—becomes increasingly significant, leading to a rise in informal and volunteer caregiving. Culturally, this responsibility has fallen mainly on women, reflecting patriarchal and gender-based expectations. From a Radical Behaviorism perspective, caregiving is viewed as a set of behaviors shaped by environmental and cultural factors at phylogenetic, ontogenetic, and cultural levels. The study aims to reflect on caregivers’ mental health and the impacts of caregiving through a theoretical review of national and international literature. It examines the factors influencing the choice of caregiver, the predominance of women in this role, the emotional and psychological consequences of caregiving—such as stress, overload, anxiety, and depression—along with a functional analysis table of caregiving behavior and strategies for supporting caregivers, including psychological assistance, self-care practices, training programs, and support networks.