Effect of cognitive discretions on levels of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) fear and depression

The fact that the cause of the emergence of the COVID-19 virus is not known exactly, the virus cannot be brought under control and all individuals in the world are at potential risk have turned the epidemic into a global trauma. It brings many consequences such as increased depression, anxiety, cognitive distortions, health anxiety, loneliness, social isolation, stigma and financial difficulties, and changing work and working conditions. In this study, the effect of cognitive distortions on fear of coronavirus disease 2019 (covid-19) and depression levels will be examined. The study group consisted of 308 people between the ages of 20-45 residing in Istanbul. Personal information form, Coronavirus information form, Covid-19 Phobia Scale (C19P-S), Beck Depression Scale and Cognitive Distortions Scale were used as data collection tools. Analysis of data via SPSS 22.0 programhas been made. Frequency analysis for categorical variables in the evaluation of research data, descriptive statistics for the distribution of scale and sub-dimension total scores, Pearson Correlation Analysis for examining the relationship between scale and sub dimensions, Independent Sample t-Test for examining the difference between two means, and examining the difference between three or more means. One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and regression analysis were used. The suitability of the parameters to the normal distribution was evaluated with the Kolmogorov Smirnov test. Results; It was evaluated at the 95% confidence interval, at the p<0.05 significance level. When the distribution of the individuals participating in the study was examined according to their socio-demographic characteristics, it was concluded that the majority of them were female, single, university graduate, actively working, not working during the pandemic period, and their income level was between 0-1400 TL. According to the research findings, no statistically significant difference was found between the variables of gender, marital status, education status, chronic disease status, covid status, covid diagnosis in the family, being close to a risk group and fear of corona virus. However, a statistically significant difference was found between income status, previous epidemic disease, loss of relatives due to epidemic and fear of corona virus. A statistically significant difference was found between gender, marital status, income status variables and depression scale mean scores. On the other hand, there was no statistically significant difference between the depression score average and education status, chronic disease status, previous covid status, covid diagnosis in the family, previous epidemic disease status, risk group relative status, and loss of relative in the epidemic. . A statistically significant difference was found between the variables of gender, marital status, educational status and income status and the mean scores of the cognitive distortion scale. On the other hand, there was no statistically significant difference between the mean scores of the cognitive distortion scale and chronic disease, previous covid status, covid diagnosis in the family, having an epidemic disease before, being a relative of a risk group, and loss of a relative due to the epidemic. It was found that the depression variable predicted cognitive distortion and fear of coronavirus.