Attribution and illness

Mothers' causal explanations for their son's schizophrenia: relationship to depression and guilt

This study investigated the relationship between mothers' causal explanations for their son's schizophrenia and the depression and guilt mothers experience. Thirty-three mothers who were primary caregivers to a schizophrenic son were interviewed using the Causal Dimension Scale and the Multiscore Depression Inventory. Twenty-nine mothers generated 50 causal explanations for their son's schizophrenia. The most frequently cited causal category was physiological/biological factors. Guilt was associated with causal explanations characterized as internal, whereas depression was unrelated to causal dimensions. The findings support the need to assess mothers' causal explanations for their son's schizophrenia and to research the health consequences of causal explanations.

Self-perceptions of interpersonal and sexual functioning in women with mood disorders: a preliminary report

Women with mood disorders are faced with the complex interpersonal issues that confront all women, as well as the potential disruption in their interpersonal functioning related to the nature of their disorder and the medical treatment required. The purposes of this study were to describe the self-perceptions of 34 women being treated medically for mood disorders regarding (a) their interpersonal and sexual functioning, (b) the causal explanations for perceived disruptions in interpersonal and sexual functioning, and (c) the effect their mood disorder has had on their functioning in these areas. A structured questionnaire was used to conduct the in-depth interviews. Results indicated that 76.5% (n = 26) of the women perceived that they were experiencing interpersonal disruption, and 55.9% (n = 19) perceived that they were experiencing sexual disruption at the time of the interviews. Moreover, 88.2% (n = 30) reported that their mood disorder had an effect on their interpersonal relationships, and 79.4% (n = 27) reported that their mood disorder adversely affected their sexual relationships. Causal explanations related to the perceived disruptions in functioning were explored.