Skip to main content
Log in

Causal attributions for illness among Turkish psychiatric out-patients and differences between diagnostic groups

  • Published:
Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

Causal attributions of 152 Turkish non-psychotic psychiatric out-patients for the development of their psychological problems were examined by using a 31-item attributions for psychological problems questionnaire (APP). The factor analysis of the responses to the APP yielded seven factors, which were: attributions to conflicts within the family of origin and with the present family, attributions to personal-characterological and behavioural attributes, work problems, interpersonal conflicts and bad luck. Examination of the causal attributions of patients from three DSM-III-R diagnostic groups revealed no significant differences between diagnostic groups. The highest attributional scores were for conflicts with the present family and personal-characterological attributes.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abramson LY, Seligman MEP, Teasdale J (1978) Learned helplessness in humans: critique and reformulation. J Abnorm Psychol 87: 49–74

    Google Scholar 

  • Brewin CR (1984) Attributions for industrial accidents: their relationship to rehabilitation outcome. J Soc Clin Psychol 2: 156–164

    Google Scholar 

  • Foulks EF, Persons JB, Merkel RL (1986) The effect of patients' belief about their illnesses on compliance in psychotherapy. Am J Psychiatry 143: 340–345

    Google Scholar 

  • Golfried MR (1980) Toward the delineation of therapeutic change principles. Am Psychol 35: 991–999

    Google Scholar 

  • Kagitçibaşi Ç (1985) Intra-family interaction and a model of change In: Erder T (ed) Family in Turkish society. Turkish Social Sciences Association, Ankara, pp 149–165

    Google Scholar 

  • Karanci AN (1986) Causal attributions for psychological illness among Turkish psychiatric in-patients and their relationship with hope. Int J Soc Psychiatry 32: 3–13

    Google Scholar 

  • Karanci AN (1988) Patterns of depression in medical patients and their relationship with causal attributions for illness. Psychother Psychosom 50: 207–215

    Google Scholar 

  • Lefley HP (1987) Families of the mentally ill: coping and adaptation. Guilford Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Michela JL, Wood JV (1986) Causal attributions in health and illness. Adv Cogn Behav Res Ther 5: 179–235

    Google Scholar 

  • Molvaer J, Hantzi A, Papadatos Y (1992) Psychotic patients' attributions for mental illness. Br J Clin Psychol 31: 210–212

    Google Scholar 

  • Nie NH, Hull CH, Jenkins JG, Steinbrenner K, Bent DH (1975) Statistical package for the social sciences. McGraw-Hill, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Norcross JC, Prochaska JO, Guadagnoli E, DiClemente CC (1984) Factor structure of the levels of attribution and change scale in samples of psychotherapists and smokers. J Clin Psychol 40: 519–528

    Google Scholar 

  • Prochaska J (1984) Systems of psychotherapy: a transtheoretical analysis. Dorsey Press, Homewood, III

    Google Scholar 

  • Stiles WB, Shapiro DA, Elliot R (1986) Are all psychotherapies equivalent? Am Psychol 41: 165–180

    Google Scholar 

  • Sue S, Zane N (1987) The role of culture and cultural techniques in psychotherapy: a critique and reformulation. Am Psychol 42: 37–43

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Karanci, A.N. Causal attributions for illness among Turkish psychiatric out-patients and differences between diagnostic groups. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 28, 292–295 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00795910

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00795910

Keywords

Navigation