Social status determinants of control in individuals' accounts of their mental illness.
We examine the determinants of patients' accounts of their own mental illness. In particular, we examine the factors that affect the likelihood of attributing one's own mental illness to controllable factors rather than non-controllable factors. Our quantitative measure of attributional control is derived from the coding of in-depth interviews with people with severe mental illness seeking treatment for the first time (N = 144). We find that those who occupy positions of social disadvantage (particularly African-American males and those who receive public assistance) are less likely to attribute their illness to controllable sources, suggesting that personal mental illness attributions are systematically related to a person's social location. We outline the significance of these findings for research on the psychological consequences of mental illness attributions.
Maher
Erin J
EJ
Human Services Policy Center, Evans School of Public Affairs, University of Washington, Seattle 98195, USA. emaher@u.washington.edu
Kroska
Amy
A
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D000367:Age Factors; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000208:ethnology*; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011593:Psychology, Social; D011632:Public Assistance; D012649:Self Concept; D012737:Sex Factors; D012923:Social Class; D012944:Social Support; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology