Abstract
The objective of this study was to describe the relationship between cognitive characteristics and symptoms in female patients with depression in Japan. Therefore, a gender-based comparative analysis of 10 male and female subjects was conducted. All subjects were interviewed, and open coding, categorizing, and theoretical sampling for category-refining purposes were conducted. As a result, “fixation on subject of dependence” was identified as the central category, and this category was found to comprise the following 3 characteristics in depressed female patients: “excessive role awareness in relationships,” “overdependence on receiving care,” and “loss of control in relationships or communication.” In addition, these characteristics were mutually related to symptoms of depression, and a vicious cycle. These results suggest that the development of effective caring techniques for depressed female patients should take into consideration the relationship that exists between female gender roles and depression, while also applying a cognitive therapy-based approach to breaking the mutual relationships and vicious cycle between the 3 cognitive characteristics and the symptoms of depression.
