Causal attributions and perceived stigma for ME/CFS (Froehlich et al., 2021)

[Pyrrhus]

Causal attributions and perceived stigma for ME/CFS (Froehlich et al., 2021)
Laura Froehlich, Daniel BR Hattesohl, Joseph Cotler, Leonard A Jason, Carmen Scheibenbogen, Uta Behrends
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/13591053211027631

I haven't read the full paper, but I believe the main point that the authors are trying to officially document is:

• If other people think you can control your disease, you are more likely to perceive stigma from that person.

Excerpt:

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.

 

[Rufous McKinney]

If other people think you can control your disease, you are more likely to perceive stigma from that person

very true....I think...

I lost alot of weight- I decided to eat less. So then I did.

I look at other people, they claim they can't lose weight, and generally I do not believe them due to my own direct experience/bias. I see (internally) that I am not very sympathetic.

My husband has alot of physical challenges. I get angry with him ( internally), because I believe he did not try hard enough to fight back. this is probably NOT a good way for me to think, but I do think it.

Our stigma is pretty irrelevant to my life at this stage, but I do feel for those of you who still need some external validation. I know nothing about this is psychosomatic. If others don't well, sorry for your ignorance.

 

[Pyrrhus]

Here is a small blurb about this paper from the new organization "Doctors with ME":

Stigma and causal attribution – new research
https://doctorswith.me/stigma-and-causal-attribution-new-research/

Excerpt:

Doctors with M.E. Honorary Fellow, Professor Leonard Jason, continues his scholarship in the field of ME with his coauthorship of a newly published paper examining the role of stigma and its impact on health-related and social outcomes.

In addition to ME’s extremely low quality of life scores, the impact of stigma has an unusually great impact on patients. This affects both social and medical interactions and esteem.