Mothers' expressed emotion toward their school-aged sons. Associations with child and maternal symptoms of psychopathology.
BACKGROUND
Evidence suggests that mothers are negative and critical when talking about their children with behaviour problems. However the association with specific types of behaviour problems and the influence of both child and adult psychopathology on these relationships require further clarification.


METHODS
Speech samples were gathered from mothers of 100 school-aged boys and coded using standard Expressed Emotion (EE) categories. Levels of maternal and child psychopathology were ascertained using standardised questionnaires completed by the mother.


RESULTS
There were significant and positive correlations between criticism and child ADHD, conduct and emotional symptoms respectively. There were also significant and negative correlations between EOI and child ADHD and conduct problems.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings of the current study suggest that when considered together EE is driven more by the child rather than by maternal characteristics and these effects are specific to conduct and emotional problems. The implications of the findings are discussed.
Psychogiou
Lamprini
L
School of Psychology, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton, UK.
Daley
Dave M
DM
Thompson
Margaret J
MJ
Sonuga-Barke
Edmund J S
EJ
D000328:Adult; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D016241:Child of Impaired Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D019955:Conduct Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D019260:Expressed Emotion; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009790:Occupations; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012923:Social Class; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology