[The features of family environment and social skills in schizophrenia]

The influence of environmental factors upon the social skills in schizophrenia is beyond doubt. The family environment of schizophrenic patients has been extensively described. Some research revealed those features of emotional context of the family, which influence the exacerbation of schizophrenia. Those features are called the Expressed Emotion Index (EE). The Expressed Emotion Index has great prognostic value and it seems interesting to examine the influence of the family environment as described by EE, upon the social skills. This paper contains both a characterization of the family environment described by various aspects of EE and an analysis of its influence on the social skills. Possible connections of EE with premorbid functioning of schizophrenic patients, and with psychopathological symptoms, as well as cognitive processes are also described. In the analysis of interrelation of EE and the social skills it is very important to consider both qualitative and quantitative aspects of Expressed Emotion Index. Various aspects of the family environment seem to be connected with specific cognitive dysfunctions and various psychopathological symptoms. In a similar way, various social skills seem to be determined by different internal and external factors.