Annotation: Expressed Emotion in Family Relationships

Research conducted in the 1950s revealed a significant link between relapse & the type of home environment to which a schizophrenic patient returned, despite no changes in medication. From this research emerged the concept of "expressed emotion" (EE), based on the Camberwell Family Int...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of child psychology and psychiatry 1989-01, Vol.30 (1), p.13-22
Main Author: Vaughn, Christine E
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Emotions
Family Relations
Home Environment
Mental Patients
Recidivism
Schizophrenia
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Summary:Research conducted in the 1950s revealed a significant link between relapse & the type of home environment to which a schizophrenic patient returned, despite no changes in medication. From this research emerged the concept of "expressed emotion" (EE), based on the Camberwell Family Interview (Brown, G. W., & Rutter, M., "The Measurement of Family Activities and Relationships: A Methodological Study," Human Relations, 1966, 19, 241-263) -- an instrument developed to record the range of feelings & emotions in ordinary families. Reviewed here is research supporting the EE index's predictive validity for relapse patterns in schizophrenia. Questions about the nature & meaning of the global EE index, the clinical significance of individual EE scales, & their stability over different situations & over time are addressed. Although the strength of the association between EE & relapse across cultures & diagnostic groups is impressive, whether this association implies causation is unclear; the literature does not indicate a simple unidirectional relationship between relatives' EE & patient's relapse. It is argued that the strongest evidence for a causal role for EE comes from family treatment studies, examples of which are provided. It is concluded that the EE index is extremely useful as a prognostic indicator, but further research is needed. 60 References. S. Dilts
ISSN:0021-9630