ABSTRACT
The main objective of this study was to examine cultural beliefs (both as causes of illness and as factors in recovery) to which women patients attribute their cervical cancer. The study also aimed to assess the link of causal and recovery beliefs to psychological recovery. The relationship was investigated in a cross-sectional study of three groups of 132 cervical cancer patients. The patients were randomly selected for three different stages of treatment at a local hospital. Based on responses in semi-structured interviews, we found that patients attributed fate, God and Karma as the cause of their cancer, but rated their doctor as a major factor in recovery. However, these beliefs had no link to psychological recovery of the patients. In general, recovery beliefs were more often associated with actual psychological recovery. The implications of these findings within Indian cultural context are discussed.
