Investigation of the Relationship Between the Compassion and Depression Levels of Primary Caregivers of Individuals with Chronic Disease: Descriptive Study

Abstract

The aim of the study was to investigate the compassion and depression levels of primary caregivers of individuals with chronic disease and the relationship between these two states. Material and Methods: The cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted with 389 caregivers between November 2019 and January 2020. The data were collected using "Descriptive Characteristics Form", "Compassion Scale" and "Beck Depression Scale". Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis and Spearman correlation tests were used to evaluate the data. Results: It was determined that 47.8% of the caregivers were between the ages of 34-49, 88.2% were women, 93.8% were married, 84.6% were have children, 39.6% were high school graduates, 65% were not working (19% were left the job to give care), 56% of them were equal to their expenses and 50.6% of them were the spouses of the patient who received care. At the same time, it was determined that 79.2% of the caregivers did not have previous care experience, 65.8% were not supported financially/morally while providing care, 73% did not change their role/relationship status. It was determined that the compassion levels of the caregivers were moderate and almost all of them had moderate to severe depression. A significant negative correlation was found between compassion and depression level. Conclusion: This study is one of the few studies that determine the level of compassion in caregivers and examine its relationship with depression. It was concluded that the level of depression decreased with the increase in the level of compassion. For this reason, it is thought that measuring the compassion levels of caregivers and supporting individuals with compassion training programs are important for quality care.