Intrafamilial relationships and the course of schizophrenia

This paper describes efforts to explicate the significance of schizophrenic patients' sub-clinical psychopathology (SCP) to affective attitudes expressed by relatives about these patients. Using data from two 10-minute interactions between patients and close relatives (usually parents), verbal and non-verbal behaviors were scored for signs of SCP by the patient. Scores reflective of more overt signs of SCP were highly related to relatives' expressed emotion status and their affective style when interacting with the patient, suggesting that a complex transactional model best explains the connection between high EE status of a relative and the risk for patient relapse.