Open AccessCausal attributions and perceived stigma for myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome
Author(s) -
Laura Froehlich,
Daniel B. R. Hattesohl,
Joseph Cotler,
Leonard A. Jason,
Carmen Scheibenbogen,
Uta Behrends
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of health psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.716
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1461-7277
pISSN - 1359-1053
DOI - 10.1177/13591053211027631
Subject(s) - chronic fatigue syndrome , attribution , psychology , clinical psychology , encephalomyelitis , medicine , disease , perception , stigma (botany) , malaise , health psychology , psychiatry , public health , social psychology , immunology , multiple sclerosis , pathology , neuroscience , nursing
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) is a chronic disease with the hallmark symptom of post-exertional malaise. Evidence for physiological causes is converging, however, currently no diagnostic test or biomarker is available. People with ME/CFS experience stigmatization, including the perception that the disease is psychosomatic. In a sample of 499 participants with self-diagnosed ME/CFS, we investigated perceived stigma as a pathway through which perceived others’ causal attributions relate to lower satisfaction with social roles and activities and functional status. Higher perceived attributions by others to controllable and unstable causes predicted lower health-related and social outcomes via higher perceived stigma.