Causal Attributions, Perceived Control, and Psychological Adjustment: A Study of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome¹

Abstract

Causal attributions control, beliefs, and helpful and unhelpful support attempts were examined among people experiencing chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and their close others. Results revealed that 84% of respondents with CFS believed that their illness was due, at least in part, to physical or external causes, whereas 47% mentioned internal/psychological causes. Reports of internal causal attributions for CFS were positively correlated with indicators of poor psychological adjustment among those with CFS. Having an external locus of control (i.e., to powerful others) was also associated with poorer psychological adjustment among respondents with CFS. Close others' causal attributions to internal factors were related to frequency of self-reported unhelpful support attempts and to reports of depression and anxiety those respondents with CFS.Social and health psychologists have become increasingly interested in the role of social cognition in coping with chronic illness. Two constructs integral to coping are causal attribution and beliefs about control (e.g.,

Significant other behavioural responses and patient chronic fatigue syndrome symptom fluctuations in the context of daily life: An experience sampling study

“…In line with study hypotheses, significant other negative responses were associated with increases in patient‐reported symptom severity and distress at the same momentary assessment. The relationship between negative significant other responses and increased patient depression has been documented cross‐sectionally (Romano et al ., ; White et al ., ) and patient depression has also been identified as predictive of poorer patient illness and treatment outcomes (Bentall et al ., ; Tamres et al ., ). A recent review of the existing evidence suggested that significant other negative responses may be important for patient illness outcomes by increasing levels of patient depression (Band et al ., ) supported by longitudinal evidence demonstrating the mediational role of increased patient depression between significant other criticism and fatigue severity (Band et al ., ).…”

Who deserves to be sick? An exploration of the relationships between belief in a just world, illness causal attributions and their fairness judgements

“…It means that for some people illness is deserved. Blaming patients for becoming ill has negative effects on their well-being and on the care they receive (Barrowclough & Hooley, 2003;Ladany et al, 1998;Lobchuk, McClement, McPherson, & Cheang, 2008;Salmon & Hall, 2003;White, Lehman, Hemphill, Mandel, & Lehman, 2006). Decision makers allocating medical resources may also be biased against patient groups they hold responsible for their illness (Furnham & Proctor, 1992).…”

Emotional processing and chronic fatigue syndrome

“…The most common attribution was to a virus or post-viral infection (Powell et al, 1990;Wessely & Powell, 1989;White, Lehman, Hemphill, Mandel, Lehman, 2006;Sharpe et al, 1992;Vercoulen et al, 1994;Edwards et al, 2001;Heijmans, 1998;Evengard et al, 2003). However, a point worth considering is that several of these studies show a large minority of CFS participants making other types of attributions.…”

“…Butler et al (2001) found 28% of individuals made normalising attributions. White et al (2006) reported that 47% in part made a psychological attribution. found that 31% reported emotional stress as contributing to their fatigue and Edwards et al (2001) and Heijmans (1998) reported that 24% acknowledged that their symptoms could be psychological.…”