Dysfunctional Thoughts about Caregiving Questionnaire: psychometric properties of a new measure
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Background This study examines the psychometric properties of the Dysfunctional Thoughts about Caregiving Questionnaire (DTCQ). Methods DTCQ was administered to 227 dementia family caregivers. Results Principal components analyses resulted in a two-factor solution: Perception of Sole Responsibility and Perfectionism. The DTCQ has a strong internal consistency and an adequate temporal stability. The DTCQ score differentiated between depressed and non-depressed caregivers, although only in the female group. Construct validity was also supported by significant relationships between DTCQ scores and global dysfunctional attitudes, social support, seeking social support and number of hours per day engaged in caring. The dysfunctional thoughts about caregiving specify rigid and inappropriate contingencies to guide and assess behavior while acting as cognitive barriers that make healthy care difficult. Conclusion The results of this study showed that such dysfunctional thoughts have a significant relationship to variables identified as mediators in caregiving stress models. The DTCQ has potential uses for both research and clinical purposes.
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Dysfunctional caregiving standards (DCS) contribute to guilt, sadness, and anger and hamper help-seeking and rest.
“DCS have been suggested to contribute to guilt, sadness, and anger as they cannot be adhered to in the long term, and further hamper family caregivers in seeking help and allowing themselves to rest (Losada et al., Citation2006; Montorio et al., Citation2009).”
From How do care-related beliefs contribute to depression and anxiety in family caregivers of people with dementia? Testing a cognitive vulnerability-stress model. (2025) · cites this paper as Montorio et al., 2009
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- Authors
- Montorio, I., Losada, A., Izal, M., & Márquez, M.
- Affiliations
- Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (ES)
- Corresponding author
- Montorio, Ignacio
- ORCID
- Montorio, Ignacio
- Venue
- International Psychogeriatrics
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2009-10
- Volume
- 21
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 913-921
- ISSN
- 1041-6102 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2033355122
- Cited by
- 10
- References
- 35
- Citations by year
- 2025: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 2 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 1
- FWCI
- 0.83
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- International Psychogeriatrics (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Agence Nationale pour le Développement de la Recherche Universitaire
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Pharmacy › Nursing care and research
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Family Caregiving in Mental Illness
- Keywords
- dementia caregivers, caregiver stress, dysfunctional thoughts, perfectionism, caregiver depression, social support, caregiving hours, psychometric properties
- MeSH terms
- Adaptation, Psychological, Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Alzheimer Disease, Culture, Depressive Disorder, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Psychometrics, Quality of Life, Surveys and Questionnaires, Social Responsibility, Social Support, Spain, Thinking, Reproducibility of Results, Caregivers, Cost of Illness
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