Expressed emotion, perceived criticism and 10-year outcome of depression.
Outcome studies of patients suffering from depression indicate a high relapse rate and a tendency towards chronicity. A family atmosphere characterised by expressed emotion (EE) and perceived criticism (PC) was reported to be a robust predictor of outcome in affective disorders. The aim of the study was to analyze the association between EE, PC and long-term outcome of depression. Fifty inpatients with major depression were followed up 1, 2 and 10 years after discharge from the hospital. After 10 years, 26 patients (56.5%) had at least one recurrence. Spousal EE, assessed with the Five-Minute Speech Sample (FMSS), and the Perceived Criticism Index (PCI) were not significant prognostic factors for depression outcome. The significance of EE and PC for the long-term course of depression has to be questioned. The findings indicate a need to examine factors that may partly mediate the effect of EE and PC on the outcome of depression.
Kronmüller
Klaus-Thomas
KT
Department of Psychiatry, University of Heidelberg, Germany. klaus_kronmueller@med.uni-heidelberg.de
Backenstrass
Matthias
M
Victor
Daniela
D
Postelnicu
Ilinca
I
Schenkenbach
Caroline
C
Joest
Katharina
K
Fiedler
Peter
P
Mundt
Christoph
C
D000328:Adult; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D019260:Expressed Emotion; D005192:Family Health; D005195:Family Relations; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage / Q000523:psychology*; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011336:Probability; D011379:Prognosis; D012008:Recurrence; D013060:Speech; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology; D014705:Verbal Behavior