-Abstract-
This study was undertaken to find out the causal perception of rheumatoid arthritis
patients, and to understand the typology.
The Q-population consisted of 236 statements of causal perception were collected.
Thirty eight Q-samples of causal perception were selected. The P-sample for this study
were made up of 28 first visiting female rheumatoid arthritis patients from a rheumatoid
arthritis specialty hospital.
Each respondent Q-set of causal perception according to 9-point scale. The result of
Q-sorting were coded and analyzed using QUANL PC program.
1) Typological Observation on Causal Perception
(1) Physical Fatigue Type : Type 1 perceived that the illness occurred due to excessive
work requiring physical labor or strain that had occurred from not resting after
excessive physical labor, therefore, thinking the origin of the illness was from physical
strain.
(2) Physical origin Type : Type 2 perceived that the major cause for the illness is not
only excessive physical labour but also fecundity and old age.
(3) Causality to Environment Type : Type 3 perceived that rheumatoid arthritis
occurred from injury to the joints or bad humid weather.
(4) Conscience of Guilty Type : Type 4 consisted of people with guilty conscience for
lack of religious commitment. They perceived that the illness was a punishment from
God for not praying or because of bad luck.
(5) Rationally Perceiving Type : People who belong in type 5 perceived the cause of
illness in light of scientific facts such as genetics, unbalanced diet or lack of exercise.
(6) Psychological Stress Type : People who belong in type 6 believed that excessive
stress was the cause of the illness.
2) Emotions of Rheumatoid arthritis patients
Rheumatoid arthritis patients' positive emotions included determination, courage,
coping, acceptance, hope, and adoption ; and their negative emotions were prostration,
worry, stupor, conflicts, grievance, giving-up, resignation, depression, loss, solitariness,
fear, anxiety, avoidance, anger and loneliness. Rheumatoid arthritis patients experience
different level of emotions from their suffering experience from the severe pains.
Rheumatoid arthritis patients also experience negative emotions when they could not
perform self-care and lose their self-esteem from painful suffering ; however, they
regain positive emotions when they recover from pain with the use of drugs, physical
therapy or exercise. Their emotional states are closely connected to level of and
presence of pain.
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