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Causal Attributions and Psychiatric Symptoms in Survivors of the Herald of Free Enterprise Disaster

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Steve A. Joseph ,
Chris R. Brewin ,
William Yule  and
Ruth Williams
Steve A. Joseph*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, DeCrespigny Park, London SE5 8AF
Chris R. Brewin
Affiliation:
MRC Social and Community Psychiatry Unit, Institute of Psychiatry, London
William Yule
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, London
Ruth Williams
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, London
*
∗Correspondence
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Abstract

The aim of the present study was to explore the relationship between causal attributions and psychiatric symptoms in those who survived the capsizing of the Herald of Free Enterprise ferry, two years following the disaster. Internal and controllable attributions for disaster-related experience are strongly related to poorer psychological outcome.

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 159 , Issue 4 , October 1991 , pp. 542 - 546
Copyright
Copyright © 1991 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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