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Family caretaking and expressed emotion: an evaluation
Hospital & Community Psychiatry
|October 1, 1983
Summary
Families caring for relatives with schizophrenia need support. High expressed emotion in families is linked to patient relapse, suggesting a need for broader research into other mental disorders.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Family Studies
- Mental Health Care
Background:
- Increasing numbers of families are primary caregivers for relatives with schizophrenia.
- Family dynamics and support systems significantly impact patient outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify the needs of families caring for individuals with schizophrenia.
- To review family therapy approaches for schizophrenia treatment.
- To examine the relationship between family expressed emotion and patient relapse.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of family therapy approaches.
- Analysis of theories concerning expressed emotion (hostility, criticism, intrusiveness).
- Examination of studies on the impact of high expressed emotion on schizophrenic patient relapse.
Main Results:
- High expressed emotion in families is associated with increased relapse rates in schizophrenic patients.
- The concept of expressed emotion is not exclusive to families of schizophrenic patients.
Conclusions:
- Caregiving families require specific support and interventions.
- Further standardized research is needed to explore expressed emotion in families of patients with other mental disorders.