Cognitive fusion and distress in family caregivers: the role of satisfaction with personal values

Abstract

Objectives: cognitive fusion (the tendency towards behavior that is overly regulated and influenced by cognition) and dissatisfaction with personal values are central processes of psychological inflexibility and are related to distress. Being cognitively fused may interfere with achieving satisfaction from personal values. This study analyzed the role of satisfaction with the value of caregiving and other personal values (e.g. personal growth) in the relationship between cognitive fusion and caregivers’ distress.Method: a total of 287 dementia family caregivers participated in this quantitative study carried out in Madrid, Spain, from January 2016 to February 2020. We measured sociodemographic and stressor variables, cognitive fusion, caregivers’ satisfaction with values and depressive and anxiety symptoms. The indirect effect of cognitive fusion on distress through caregivers’ satisfaction with caregiving value and with other personal values was tested. Four hierarchical regression models were analyzed: the role of satisfaction with the caregiving value in the association between cognitive fusion and depressive (Model 1a) and anxiety (Model 1b) symptoms; and the role of satisfaction with other personal values in the association between cognitive fusion and depressive (Model 2a) and anxiety (Model 2b) symptoms.Results: the results showed an indirect effect of cognitive fusion on both depressive and anxiety symptoms only through satisfaction with other personal values. Those reporting higher cognitive fusion reported lower satisfaction with other personal values, and this association was related to higher scores in depressive and anxiety symptoms (Models 2a and 2b).Conclusion: cognitive fusion could be a variable that interferes in obtaining satisfaction from personal values, something that increases caregivers’ distress.

Keywords:

• Anxiety symptoms
• caregivers
• cognitive fusion
• depressive symptoms
• satisfaction with personal values

Acknowledgements

We thank all the caregivers for their participation in the study and also the following centers for collaborating with us in the project: Fundación Cien, Fundación Maria Wolff, Centro de Salud General Ricardos, Centro de Salud García Noblejas, Centro de Salud Benita de Ávila, Centro de Salud Vicente Muzas, Centro Reina Sofía de Cruz Roja, Centro de Psicología Aplicada de la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Hospital Gregorio Marañón, and Aulas Kalevi.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte; Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation. The preparation of this paper was supported in part by three grants from the Spanish Ministry of Education (PSI2012-31293), the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (PSI2015-65152-C2-1-R and PSI2015-65152-C2-2-R), and the Ministry of Science and Innovation (PID2019-106714RB-C21 & PID2019-106714RB-C22). Samara Barrera Caballero was supported by an FPU grant FPU17/02548 from the Spanish Ministry of Education.