Journal of psychosomatic research
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The present study aimed at testing the relationships between health causal attribution and coping mechanisms with quality of life (QOL) in patients who have end-stage renal disease (ESRD) undergoing a peritoneal dialysis (PD) treatment. It was hypothesized that QOL should be negatively associated with the severity of the disease. Problem-focused coping, internal health-related locus of control (HRLOC) and medical power HRLOC were hypothesized as positive moderators preserving a better QOL, after controlling for the severity of the disease. ⋯ These results suggest that physical QOL is all the more preserved when patients are more convinced that their behaviour can influence their health condition and that psychological QOL is all the more impaired when health condition is perceived as less controllable, requiring emotion-focused coping (avoidance strategies). Health causal attributions and coping act respectively as moderators of physical and psychological components of QOL.