Causal attribution and adaptation among lung cancer patients

The aim of the present study was to describe lung cancer patients' causal attributions and examine their associations with adaptation. Methods were based on semi-structured interview, content analysis, self-reports, interviewer ratings and standardized questionnaires. 'Smoking cigarettes' and 'toxins in the work place' were the most commonly mentioned possible causes. Patients who made a psychosocial causal attribution suffered greater emotional distress, were more depressed, and less hopeful than other patients. They were also more likely to be rated as showing a maladaptive way of coping with illness. The implications of these findings for psychosocial care are discussed.