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Introduction: Scleroderma is a rare autoimmune connective tissue disease. It has a substantial negative impact on quality of life and causes numerous painful and limitative symptoms. Like other chronic diseases, partners often become caregivers. Many studies on other chronic illnesses demonstrated that caregivers show signs of depression and anxiety. However, this observation is yet to be better explored with systemic sclerosis. Objectives: Verify if social support and illness severity impact the relation between caregivers' perceived burden and their depression and anxiety symptoms. Methods: 51 couples from the Quebec province in Canada were recruited (102 participants). All participants were a) 18 years or older, b) in a relationship and cohabiting for over a year, c) one of the two partners had received the diagnosis of systemic sclerosis and d) was followed regularly by a rheumatologist. Patients and their partner filled a set of standardized questionnaires frequently used in scleroderma research (details in the poster). Moderator analyses were completed to explore the moderating effect of social support and illness severity on the relation between the caregivers' perceived burden and their depression and anxiety symptoms Results: Illness severity (physical and mental) plays a moderating role on the relation between the caregivers' perceived burden and their depression and anxiety symptoms, p<.01 (detailed results in the poster). Social support played a moderating role on the relation between the caregiver's perceived burden and their anxiety symptoms, (ΔR2 = .12, F(1,37) = 5.25, p = .028). Conclusions: Caregivers' psychological health must be assessed to offer appropriate social and psychological support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]