Personality and expressed emotion

Expressed emotion (EE) is an established psychosocial predictor of relapse in patients with schizophrenia and mood disorders; however, nothing is currently known about the personality characteristics of high- and low-EE relatives. A total of 45 relatives of schizophrenia patients completed the California Psychological Inventory, a widely used measure of common personality traits. Compared with low-EE relatives, high-EE relatives were more conventional in their behavior (higher norm-favoring) and less satisfied with themselves and their lives (lower self-realization). High-EE relatives were also less flexible, tolerant, and lower in empathy and achievement via independence than were low-EE relatives. Even with statistical control of potential demographic confounds, flexibility remained a significant predictor of EE status.