What do psychiatric patients believe regarding where control over their illness lies? Validation of the multidimensional health locus of control scale in psychiatric outpatient care.

Patients' perceived control constructs are important factors moderating health-related behaviors. We established the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Form C Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale (C-MHLC) and assessed the usefulness of these measures in the clinical setting. A cross-sectional survey querying about patients' health locus of control (HLOC) beliefs was offered to 607 psychiatric outpatients, of whom 507 accepted. The C-MHLC scale and the General Perceived Self-Efficacy Scale were completed. The psychiatric patients believe that their psychiatrist plays a crucial role in improving their state of health. The men scored higher than the women in internal dimension; the women scored higher in other people external dimension. Age, treatment time, and number of psychoactive drugs used showed significant differences in HLOC dimensions. Self-efficacy correlated positively with internal dimension and negatively with external dimensions. The results showed the validity of the four-factor structure of the Spanish version of the C-MHLC.