Health locus of control, self-concept, and anxiety in pediatric cancer patients.

In a study of 38 pediatric cancer patients, standardized measures of health locus of control achieved only modest to unsatisfactory reliability. Correlations between health locus of control and measures of self-concept and anxiety were low. Some of the items from the scales, however, were significantly related to the patients' feelings of well-being, positive self-concept, and reduced levels of anxiety. An examination of these item correlations and information from a qualitative interview suggest that hopefulness may be more salient for pediatric cancer patients than locus of control. Further research on children's health locus of control should distinguish between clinical and healthy populations.