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Published on: December 2, 2015
Casual attributions about mental illness: relationship to family functioning
1Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
The American Journal of Orthopsychiatry
|April 1, 1996
Summary
Family functioning worsens when relatives attribute mental illness to personal causes rather than genetics or biology. Understanding these beliefs is key for supporting families coping with chronic mental illness.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Psychology
- Family Studies
Background:
- Family functioning significantly impacts individuals with chronic mental illness.
- Causal attributions for mental illness can shape patient and family experiences.
- Previous research has explored various etiological beliefs in mental illness.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the association between causal attributions for mental illness and family functioning.
- To identify specific attributions that correlate with poorer family dynamics in chronic mental illness.
Main Methods:
- The study involved 39 individuals diagnosed with chronic mental illness and their families.
- Data were collected on family members' causal attributions regarding the illness.
- Family functioning was assessed through standardized measures or interviews.
Main Results:
- A significant association was found between poor family functioning and attributions of personal causality for mental illness among parents and siblings.
- No significant relationship emerged between family functioning and attributions to genetics, biology, God, or chance.
- These findings highlight the impact of specific belief systems on family dynamics.
Conclusions:
- Attributing mental illness to personal factors negatively affects family functioning.
- Interventions should consider addressing causal beliefs about mental illness within families.
- Further research is needed to explore the mechanisms linking personal attributions to family distress.
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