riippuvaisia

Riippuvaisia is Finnish for “dependent people” and functions as the plural form of the adjective riippuvainen used as a noun. The term describes individuals who rely on others, on services, or on certain resources for their well-being or daily functioning.

In sociological, welfare and healthcare contexts, riippuvaisia refers to people who depend on support systems, such as family caregiving, social services, pensions, or disability benefits. The concept is used to discuss issues of care, access to services, and the allocation of resources within families or communities. It can include children, elderly persons, and adults with disabilities who require assistance.

In medical and public health discourse, riippuvaisia may describe individuals with dependencies on substances, such as drugs or alcohol. In this usage, the related noun riippuvuus (dependency or addiction) denotes the condition itself, while riippuvaisia refers to the people who experience that condition and who may need treatment, rehabilitation, or support services.

Linguistically, riippuvainen comes from the verb riippua (to depend) with the suffix -vainen indicating “having the quality of.” The word is common in Finnish-language discourse about social policy, caregiving, and health, and its exact meaning is guided by context—whether referring to reliance on support or to dependence on substances.

See also riippuvuus, dependent, addiction, caregiving, social welfare, and disability services.