Abstract
Relationship between caregiver depression and caregiving burden and cognitive factors

Background: This study was designed to investigate the relationship between caregiving burden and negative cognitions. In addition, it was aimed to examine whether there is a difference in negative cognitions between caregiver depression and depression due to other reasons.

Method: The study included 52 caregivers and 67 patients diagnosed with major depression due to other causes. Test batteries consist of Beck Depression Inventory and Beck Anxiety Inventory to assess symptom severity, Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire to detect automatic thoughts, Short form of Dysfunctional Attitudes Scale to determine intermediate beliefs, Social Comparison Scale to determine fundamental beliefs and Zarit Burden Interview to determine caregiver burden.

Results: There was a significant relationship between Zarit Burden and Beck Depression Scale (r: 0.814) and a weakly significant relationship with Beck Anxiety Scale (r: 0.397). Negative cognitive factors were not found to be higher in the total score of any scale and subscale in the caregiver group.

Conclusions: If we analyze the general findings of our study, we didn't find any striking cognitive structure that differentiates the caregiver depression from the other depression group. Related to this, when explaining depressive symptomatology, it can be assumed that the degree of activation, rather than the presence or absence of negative cognitions, is decisive for the clinic.

Key words: depression, caregiver burnout, cognitive therapy, cognition, symptoms