Expressed emotion in the client-professional caregiver dyad: are symptoms, coping strategies and personality related?
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to investigate whether the characteristics of residents and professional caregivers are associated with the professionals' expressed emotion (EE).


METHODS
Fifty-six residents in sheltered living who suffer from schizophrenia or a related psychotic disorder and their professional caregivers were enlisted. Standardised validated instruments were used to measure EE, the residents' social functioning, symptoms and social network size, and the professional caregivers' coping strategies and personality.


RESULTS
There was strong evidence that high EE was associated with the residents' age, poorer social functioning and smaller network sizes. There was no significant relationship between EE and the residents' symptoms except for excitement. Concerning the professional caregivers, high EE professionals were less open than their low EE colleagues and had a lower education level.


CONCLUSIONS
The residents' social functioning is an important correlate of the EE index.
Van Humbeeck
G
G
LUCAS, Kapucijnenvoer 35, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
Van Audenhove
Ch
Ch
Pieters
G
G
De Hert
M
M
Storms
G
G
Vertommen
H
H
Peuskens
J
J
Heyrman
J
J
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001530:Belgium; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D019260:Expressed Emotion; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D012112:Residential Facilities; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric