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The relationship between illness attributions and attributional style in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Cathy Creswell1, Trudie Chalder
1Sub-Department of Clinical Health Psychology, University College London, UK. c.creswell@ucl.ac.uk
Objective:
To examine the relationship between illness attributions and general attributional style in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS).
Method:
Participants with CFS answered questions on their explanation for their illness and completed the Attributional Style Questionnaire (parallel form).
Results:
Of the participants, 58.3% attributed their illness to predominantly physical factors. A significant relationship was found between the presence of a self-serving attributional style and illness attributions.
Conclusion:
Illness attributions were associated with an individual's general attributional style. It is suggested that illness attributions may be less important with regards prognosis than, for example, other variables which influence a person's general view of the world.