Personality and expressed emotion.
Expressed emotion (EE) is an established psychosocial predictor of relapse in patients with schizophrenia and mood disorders; however, nothing is currently known about the personality characteristics of high- and low-EE relatives. A total of 45 relatives of schizophrenia patients completed the California Psychological Inventory, a widely used measure of common personality traits. Compared with low-EE relatives, high-EE relatives were more conventional in their behavior (higher norm-favoring) and less satisfied with themselves and their lives (lower self-realization). High-EE relatives were also less flexible, tolerant, and lower in empathy and achievement via independence than were low-EE relatives. Even with statistical control of potential demographic confounds, flexibility remained a significant predictor of EE status.
Hooley
J M
JM
Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusets 02138, USA. jmh@wjh.harvard.edu
Hiller
J B
JB
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004644:Emotions; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010551:Personality; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011379:Prognosis; D012008:Recurrence; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology