Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 17, 2026

The bm12 Inducible Model of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) in C57BL/6 Mice
Published on: November 1, 2015
Patients' beliefs about the causes of systemic lupus erythematosus
Olivier Taïeb1, Olivier Bricou, Thierry Baubet
1Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and General Psychiatry, Avicenne Hospital, AP-HP, Université Paris 13, 93000 Bobigny, France. olivier.taieb@avc.aphp.fr
Objective:
Beliefs about the causes of SLE have rarely been investigated. The purpose of this study was to explore these beliefs.
Methods:
Face-to-face interviews were carried out with a total of 33 women with SLE, fulfilling the ACR criteria, with a median age of 40 (range 15-65) years. Data were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis.
Results:
Women attributed SLE to many causes, some of them being not congruent with biomedical models. The most frequent beliefs about the causes of SLE related to autoimmunity, psychological and familial causes, heredity, magico-religious causes (especially in first- and second-generation migrants) and infectious causes. Autoimmunity was often seen as a self-destructive process.
Conclusions:
Being diagnosed with SLE prompted 'Why me?' and 'Why now?' questioning among these women, who attempted to reconstruct coherence in their life histories. For clinicians, analysis of the beliefs about the causes clarifies what is at stake for the patient. The objective is to allow patients to produce narrative to describe their chronic illness experience in order to facilitate a long-term treatment alliance. Further studies are required to understand relationships between beliefs about causes, psychological distress and SLE morbidity.
Related Concept Videos
Autoimmune Disorders
Concept and Mechanism of Autoimmune Diseases
The immune system...
Multiple Sclerosis l: Introduction
Psychological and Sociocultural Causes of Schizophrenia
Skin Diseases and Disorders
Gram-positive Staphylococcus spp. and Streptococcus spp. are responsible for many of the most common skin infections. However, many...
Nephrotic Syndrome I : Introduction
Biological Causes of Schizophrenia
Genetic Factors in Schizophrenia
The genetic basis of schizophrenia is strongly supported by family and twin studies.
