Introduction:

In Cuba, there is an insufficient disclosure of studies in intellectual disability and its impact on family health, despite the fact that the current rate of people with intellectual desability registered is 3.26 per 100 inhabitants, with the highest incidence in Guantánamo province.

Objective:

To assess the impact of intellectual disability on family functioning, studied period January 2020 to January 2022, at the Hospital Psiquiátrico Provincial "Luis Ramírez López" de Guantánamo.

Method:

A descriptive qualitative study was carried out. A total of 25 families (N꓿25) were involved in the study, families with one of their members diagnosed with intellectual disability. Variables used: socioeconomic factors, psychological factors, family functioning, social adaptation, level of repercussion. Absolute and relative frequency distributions were performed in contingency tables.

Results:

Among the socioeconomic factors, families with structural problems in their houses (64%) and overcrowding (56 %) predominated. Psychologically, planning of tasks and family life projects as a whole was severely affected (64%). Family functioning was affected by two aspects, the lack of practical actions to face problems head on (76%) and loss of intra-family communication (72%). The needs of an specialized support (100% of families) was the most affected social adaptation.

Conclusions:

Intellectual disability in one of the family members denotes a lack of acceptance by the community, alienation from friends and relatives ; the lack of social support prevents the patients from being included in the community and, on many occasions, one of the parents has to quit his or her job to assume the patient´s care, decisions which has deep impact on family incomes.

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