Attribution and expressed emotion in the relatives of patients with schizophrenia

Article Abstract:

Certain emotional characteristics of patients' relatives have been associated with relapse among schizophrenics. For instance, patients whose relatives are high in expressed emotion (EE), reflecting criticism, hostility, or emotional overinvolvement are particularly at risk for relapse. Interventions aimed at reducing the expressed emotion of families have likewise been successful in reducing the risk of relapse. To study this further, 58 relatives of schizophrenics were assessed for expressed emotion and attributions, or statements of their beliefs about the patients' illness. Their comments were recorded during an interview. Striking among the findings was that during interviews, relatives made substantial numbers of attributions about patients' symptoms without being asked to do so. Usually relatives spoke of a single causal factor that had happened within the past month and of something that neither they nor the patient could control. Measured EE was not related to attributions. Relatives with high EE did not tend to blame themselves more and the patients less than relatives with low EE. Critical and/or hostile relatives, however, were more likely to make attributions that were internal and controllable by the patient; the attributions of hostile relatives made less reference to causality than those of critical relatives. It is proposed that attributional errors are characteristic of poorly informed and poorly supported relatives and that they contribute to the relatives' emotional responses being unhelpful to the patient. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Psychological aspects, Evaluation, Schizophrenics, Attribution (Social psychology), Attribution (Psychology)

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Predictors of relapse in unipolar depressives: expressed emotion, marital distress, and perceived criticism

Article Abstract:

The reasons for the relapse of many psychiatric patients after release from the hospital are poorly understood. One of the known predictive factors of relapse is 'expressed emotion.' This refers to the existence and extent of critical or hostile attitudes of family members toward the patient. Psychiatric patients that are released into environments with high rates of expressed emotion have higher rates of relapse. Two factors associated with expressed emotion that are more easily measured are marital distress and perceived criticism. These two characteristics were investigated in 39 depressed patients over a nine-month period following the end of a hospital stay. Twenty of these patients (51 percent) relapsed, and seven of this number were readmitted to the hospital. The results of the data supported the validity of expressed emotion as a predictive factor in relapse. In addition, patients with higher rates of marital satisfaction were less likely to have a relapse. The most powerful predictive factor was the patient's perception of criticism from the spouse. Clinical relapses were more likely in patients who rated their spouses as highly critical. Researchers point out that the data are reflective of patient opinion, and therefore some distortions may be in effect. For example, some patients may be highly sensitive to criticism. It is also stressed the these ratings were based on the self-reports of patient's perceptions and may not accurately reflect of the home situation. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Social aspects, Mentally ill persons, Prevention, Mentally ill

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Subsyndromal unipolar and bipolar disorders: comparisons on positive and negative affect

Article Abstract:

The mood patterns of normal subjects and subjects with either cyclothymia or intermittent depression were assessed to identify the differences between subsyndromal unipolar and bipolar affective disorders. Results revealed that normal subjects and subjects with affective disorders differed in terms of negative affect level and variability. Subjects with intermittent depression exhibited lower levels of trait and daily positive affect compared to those with cyclothymia.

Research, Affective disorders, Mood disorders, Bipolar disorder

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