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Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology
Published in: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology 11/2005

01-11-2005 | Original Paper

Expressed emotion and attributions in relatives of schizophrenia patients with and without substance misuse

Authors: Christine Barrowclough, Jonathan Ward, Alison Wearden, Lynsey Gregg

Published in: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology | Issue 11/2005

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Abstract

Objective

To test the hypotheses that carers of patients with schizophrenia (single diagnosis) and schizophrenia and co-occurring drug or alcohol misuse (dual diagnosis) will differ in terms of expressed emotion (EE) and their attributions for patient problems.

Method

In a cross-sectional study, two samples of 42 single- and dual-diagnosis carers are compared in terms of EE and attributions. Patient symptoms are assessed to control for differences other than substance misuse.

Results

The study supports the hypothesis that high-EE, dual-diagnosis carers tend to see patient problems as more blaming (internal, controllable and personal) than do single-diagnosis patients. This difference was particularly marked when making causal ascriptions for deficit behaviours. Although there were no differences in overall EE levels in the two groups, there were significantly more carers who were rated as hostile and rejecting in the dual-diagnosis group.

Conclusions

The findings highlight the importance of family intervention for this patient group.
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Metadata
Title
Expressed emotion and attributions in relatives of schizophrenia patients with and without substance misuse
Authors
Christine Barrowclough
Jonathan Ward
Alison Wearden
Lynsey Gregg
Publication date
01-11-2005
Publisher
Steinkopff-Verlag
Published in
Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology / Issue 11/2005
Print ISSN: 0933-7954
Electronic ISSN: 1433-9285
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-005-0976-x

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