[Locus of control of patients with a phasic encephalomyelitis disseminata course]

Within the framework of preventive measures and therapy of chronic illnesses health psychological theories have contributed to improve knowledge. The analysis of health psychological contributions shows the meaning of "locus of control beliefs" in different diseases. Locus of control is understood as a subjective cognition, able to attribute individual action consequences to specific internal or external features. Differences in general or specific locus of control beliefs may be associated with specific courses of illness. This study presents the results of locus of control beliefs in 20 multiple sclerosis patients with a phasic course after three examinations. These showed that increasing externality is linked to an increase of episodes in Multiple Sclerosis. An increase of health specific externality is indicative of an unfavourable course of this disease. The results of this study is corroborate previous studies of chronic diseases that external locus of control beliefs correlate with an unfavourable course of the disease as well as internal locus of control beliefs correlate with a favourable course. Cognitive interventions could therefore be an additional option in out-patient therapy of Multiple Sclerosis.