Outpatients' attributions of the causes of their psychological problems.
The purpose of this study was to investigate whether mental health outpatients' attributions of the causes of their psychological problems are associated with their treatment expectations. Results indicated that higher ratings for internal causation of problems were associated with longer perceived duration of problems, higher ratings of problem severity, and a greater number of appointments predicted as being necessary to provide the help needed. External attribution ratings were not significantly associated with ratings of problem duration or predicted number of appointments. Higher external attribution ratings were associated with higher ratings of perceived severity, a finding opposite that of previous research. The value of independently considering internal and external attributions of the causes of psychological problems are discussed.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D001290:Attitude; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D008875:Middle Aged; D012718:Set, Psychology