Exploring the Link between Attributional Styles and Learned Helplessness in Medical Postgraduates in Pakistan: A Qualitative Interview Study

Abstract

Background:Medical postgraduate education in Pakistan is marked by a lot of stress, working long hours as well as being hard on academics. Such setting can make the trainees susceptible to maladaptive forms of thinking. An established antecedent of learned helplessness is attributional style, or ways in which people elaborate on the causes of negative events, and as a consequence develop a state of apathy and perceived powerlessness. Nonetheless, the relationship between the two constructs is under researched in the Pakistani medical education settings.

Purpose: To investigate the connection between attributional styles (internal/external, stable/unstable, and global/specific) and development of learned helplessness among medical postgraduates in Pakistan.

Methods:The qualitative exploratory design was used. Thesemi-structured interviews with 25 postgraduates (residents) of theteaching hospitals in the public sector were carried out in the period between January 2025and March 2025in Sindh, Pakistan. It was a purposive sample of participants to ensure that first year trainees, second year trainees and third year trainees are represented.

Results:Patterns of attributions and helplessness behaviors were determined through thematic analysis. Findings: Four key themes were identified which comprise: (1) Internal, stable, and global attributions of academic failures (e.g., I am naturally incompetent)(2) External, unstable attributions of successes (e.g., luck or easy case)(3) manifestations of learned helplessness (e.g. reduced studying efforts, emotional withdrawal) and, (4) systemic and hierarchical influences including.

Conclusion:Pakistani medical postgraduates who have learned helplessness have a strong association with maladaptive attributional styles. Interventions promoting adaptive attributions and systemicsupport are urgently needed.