The interaction of electrodermal activity and expressed emotion in predicting symptoms in recent-onset schizophrenia

In the present study, expressed emotion (EE) was assessed among immediate family members of 94 recent-onset schizophrenia patients at initial study entry point, and patients' electrodermal activity (EDA) was measured without the presence of family members at a baseline outpatient stabilization assessment. Psychiatric symptoms were also rated, both at the baseline outpatient test and at 1-year follow-up. Electrodermal activity × expressed emotion interactions were observed at both test points. In each case, the highest levels of negative symptoms were observed among those who exhibited greater EDA and lived in a high-EE environment. These results support the view that the combination of high family EE and sympathetic nervous system arousal confer especially high risk for poor negative symptom outcomes.