O que leva homens a se tornar cuidadores informais: um estudo qualitativo

Introduction: The increase in life expectancy has led to a larger number of people who need care, which is mostly provided by informal and female caregivers. However, studies have shown a growth in the number of male caregivers. In this context, this study intends to observe motivations that make men become informal caregivers. Methods : Qualitative study with semi-structured interviews, sociodemographic questionnaires and Zarit questionnaires answered by ten male caregivers registered in the home care program of two primary health care clinics in Porto Alegre. Results and Discussion: The motivations identified in the caregiving process were obligation and reciprocity. Obligation was mentioned by all of the caregivers and the lack of a support network seemed to reinforce it. Reciprocity was mentioned in four interviews and was mostly correlated to sons who took care of their parents. Studies show that the motivation “obligation” seems to be related to higher levels of caregiver burden, depression and anxiety when compared to the motivation “reciprocity”. In the Zarit scale, there weren’t caregivers with severe burden, which can be related to a greater demand for social/professional support. Conclusion: The theme of the relation between caregiving and masculinity is vast and unknown. However, we could observe a correlation between gender and caregiving motivations as obligation and reciprocity, and it is suggested that the motivation “obligation” can be related to a more severe burden.