title: Causal attributions and coping with pain in chronic headache sufferers.
abstract: In the present study the relationship between attributions of causality and pain-coping behavior in headache patients was examined. Data from 441 chronic headache sufferers were collected by means of self-report inventories. The most frequently reported causal attributions were hereditary factors, emotional distress, menses or menopause, an overactive life-style, weather conditions, nutrition, and physical exertion. Some support was found for a hypothesized association between physically and psychologically related causal attributions and allied pain-coping behavior. However, as far as a relationship was revealed, it served to explain only less than 2% of the variance in pain-coping behavior. It is concluded that causal attributions do not contribute to the understanding of pain-coping behavior in chronic headache sufferers.
authors.affiliation: Psychiatric Clinic, National University of Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: F W
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: Kraaimaat
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Van Schevikhoven
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003071:Cognition; D005260:Female; D006261:Headache / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged