Caregiver Expressed Emotion and Psychiatric Symptoms in African‐Americans with Schizophrenia: An Attempt to Understand the Paradoxical Relationship. Issue 2 (23rd October 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Gurak, Kayla; Weisman de Mamani, Amy
• Is Part Of: Family process. Volume 56:Issue 2(2017)
• Page Start: 476
• Page End: 486
• Publication Date: 2015-10-23
• Subjects: African Americans -- Schizophrenia -- Expressed Emotion -- Content Analysis -- Communication Patterns; Afroamericanos -- esquizofrenia -- emoción expresada -- análisis de contenidos -- patrones de comunicación; 非裔美国人 -- 精神分裂症 -- 表达情感 -- 内容分析 -- 交流模式; Family psychotherapy -- Periodicals; Families -- Periodicals; 616.8915
• DOI: 10.1111/famp.12188
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0014-7370

Abstract

Abstract : Expressed emotion (EE) is a family environmental construct that assesses how much criticism, hostility, and/or emotional over‐involvement a family member expresses about a patient (Hooley, Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 2007, 3, 329). Having high levels of EE within the family environment has generally been associated with poorer patient outcomes for schizophrenia and a range of other disorders. Paradoxically, for African‐American patients, high‐EE may be associated with a better symptom course (Rosenfarb, Bellack, & Aziz, Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 2006, 115, 112). However, this finding is in need of additional support and, if confirmed, clarification. In line with previous research, using a sample of 30 patients with schizophrenia and their primary caregivers, we hypothesized that having a caregiver classified as low‐EE would be associated with greater patient symptom severity. We also aimed to better understand why this pattern may exist by examining the content of interviews taken from the Five‐Minute Speech Sample. Results supported study hypotheses. In line with Rosenfarb et al. (2006), having a low‐EE caregiver was associated with greater symptom severity in African‐American patients. A content analysis uncovered some interesting patterns that may help elucidate this finding. Results of this study suggest that attempts to lower high‐EE in African Americans may, in fact, be counterproductive.