Differential predictors of critical comments and emotional over-involvement in first-episode psychosis.
BACKGROUND
Little research has focused on delineating the specific predictors of emotional over-involvement (EOI) and critical comments (CC) in the early course of psychosis. The purpose of this study was to investigate the differential relationships of EOI and CC with relevant predictors in relatives of first-episode psychosis (FEP) patients.


METHODS
Baseline patient-related factors including psychotic symptoms, depression and duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) and carer attributes comprising CC, EOI, burden of care and carers' stress and depression were assessed in a cohort of 63 remitted FEP patients and their relatives. Carers were reassessed at 7 months follow-up.


RESULTS
Baseline analysis showed that EOI was more strongly correlated with family stress compared with CC, whereas CC yielded a stronger association with DUP than EOI. Carers' CC at follow-up was not significantly predicted by either baseline family stress, burden of care or patient-related variables. Conversely, baseline EOI predicted both family stress and burden of care at 7 months follow-up. Finally, family burden of care at follow-up was a function of baseline EOI and patients' depressive symptoms.


CONCLUSIONS
This study provides preliminary support to the postulate that EOI and CC may be influenced by separate factors early in the course of psychosis and warrant future research and therapeutic interventions as separate constructs. Implications for family interventions in the early phase of psychosis and the prevention of CC and EOI are discussed.
Alvarez-Jiménez
M
M
ORYGEN Youth Health Research Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. malvarez@unimelb.edu.au
Gleeson
J F
JF
Cotton
S M
SM
Wade
D
D
Crisp
K
K
Yap
M B H
MB
McGorry
P D
PD
D000293:Adolescent; D010054:Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; D015331:Cohort Studies; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D019260:Expressed Emotion; D054541:Family Conflict / Q000523:psychology; D005196:Family Therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult