Expressed emotion and early onset schizophrenia: a one year follow-up

Key relatives of 33 first or early admission psychotic patients (mainly schizophrenics) were interviewed to determine household levels of expressed emotion (EE). The patients were followed up for 12 months from index admission, during which time 13 (39%) experienced psychotic relapse. There was no association between relapse rate and household EE, but correlations between individual components of EE and pre-morbid measures suggest that level of criticism may be related to less acute onset of index episode, greater elapsed time since first signs of illness, and poor adjustment in the realm of work/study. The results are discussed in the context of continuing uncertainties about the precise nature of the relationship between EE and relapse.