Patient Beliefs During Treatment: Do We Have Control Over Our Illness?

Is health something that happens to us or is it something we consciously do to ourselves 21 Nov, 2022 Kashish Sharma

Health Locus of Control

We all have beliefs about the extent to which we can control the things that might happen to us. Psychology captures this in a clinical term and calls it ‘Locus of Control’. Source: Thehealthsite

Doer or receiver?

If you get an A grade on an exam, you might say it's your hard work but when you fail, the blame easily shifts to a tough teacher who might have set a difficult paper. In one situation, you become the doer, for another, it is an external force. Source: Thehealthsite

Control over Illness

If you believe that a certain health outcome is in your control, then you might have an internal health locus of control but if a health condition seems overwhelming and out of your control, you might develop an external locus of control. Source: Thehealthsite

My problem or doctor’s?

Studies have shown that people with a high internal locus of control participate more actively in treatment, and manage their symptoms well than external LOC who might think that their symptoms are a result of chance and they overly depend on doctors, treatments and medicines. Source: Thehealthsite

Is Health my responsibility?

People with higher external health LOC have been observed to take less responsibility for their health condition, have reportedly high ED visits and have a decreased acceptance of illness. Source: Thehealthsite

Disease as chance event

The belief that chance controls how the disease progresses can lead to negative health outcomes. Source: Thehealthsite

Somewhere in between

Studies have shown that LOC is not a white-and-black belief. Most people lie somewhere between the two. In terms of health, you might have high internal LOC whereas conditions like diabetes can become a doctor’s concern. Source: Thehealthsite

Is it your decision?

Studies show that a high external LOC can make prevent people from making independent healthcare choices. Source: Thehealthsite

What they might call life-force

Having a high external locus of control can also result in low efficacy of treatment in chronic and life-threatening illnesses like cancer. Source: Thehealthsite

My health is your responsibility

Individuals with low internal LOC are more likely to submit themselves passively to healthcare systems and won’t believe in the effectiveness of their actions. Source: Thehealthsite

There is hope

LOC as a psychological system of beliefs can be changed with intervention and this can result in better health outcomes. Source: Thehealthsite

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