Controllability perceptions and reactions to symptoms of schizophrenia: a within-family comparison of relatives with high and low expressed emotion.
In a sample of 35 family members of patients with recent-onset schizophrenia, attributions of control and the content of critical comments were compared for 2 relatives of the same household who held discrepant expressed emotion (EE) attitudes (1 high and 1 low) toward their mentally ill family member. Attributions and the content of critical comments were also compared for low-EE relatives from low-EE homes versus low-EE relatives from high-EE homes. Our results indicate that high-EE relatives tend to attribute more control over behavior to patients than do low-EE relatives of the same patient. In addition, low-EE relatives from high-EE homes attribute more behavioral control to patients than do low-EE relatives from low-EE homes. These findings suggest that EE status is linked to attributions of control over behaviors, but additional patient factors or influences among family members may also affect EE attitudes.
Weisman
A G
AG
Psychology Department, University of Massachusetts, Boston 02125-6336, USA. amy.weisman@umb.edu
Nuechterlein
K H
KH
Goldstein
M J
MJ
Snyder
K S
KS
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D004644:Emotions; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012938:Social Perception