title: Expressed emotion and attributions in the carers of patients with Alzheimer's disease: the effect on carer burden.
abstract: Burden of care, expressed emotion (EE), causal attributions, and salivary cortisol were assessed in 100 carers of patients with Alzheimer's disease. Forty-one carers were rated high EE, which was associated with higher scores of carer distress and strain, and greater reports of noncognitive features in the patient, but not with cortisol levels. High EE carers made more attributions personal to, and controllable by, the patient for negative events. Critical carers made more attributions of the patient's behavior that was idiosyncratic. Warmth toward the patient was associated with the opposite of this pattern. Overinvolved carers made attributions of the patient's behavior to causes external to the patient and internal to themselves. Cortisol levels were associated with self-reports of strain and distress.
authors: Academic Division of Clinical Psychology, School of Psychiatry and Behavioural Science, University of Manchester, United Kingdom. ntarrier@man.ac.uk
authors: Nicholas
authors: N
authors: Tarrier
authors: Christine
authors: C
authors: Barrowclough
authors: Jonathan
authors: J
authors: Ward
authors: Catherine
authors: C
authors: Donaldson
authors: Alistair
authors: A
authors: Burns
authors: Lynsey
authors: L
authors: Gregg
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D001143:Arousal; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D019260:Expressed Emotion; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D010552:Personality Assessment