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Changes in attribution and expressed emotion among the relatives of patients with schizophrenia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

Chris R. Brewin
Chris R. Brewin*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway College, University of London
*
1Address for correspondence: Professor Chris R. Brewin, Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, Surrey TW20 0EX
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Synopsis

The study investigated whether reductions in hostility and criticism in the relatives of psychiatric patients would be associated with changes in their beliefs about the causes of the patients' symptoms and negative behaviours. Twenty-six relatives of patients with schizophrenia were assessed both before and after taking part in interventions designed to reduce levels of expressed emotion. Over the course of the interventions there was a general reduction in relatives' criticism and hostility, a shift towards making more universal attributions for patients' negative behaviours and more use of attributions to illness. Reductions in criticism were not related to attributional change, but reductions in hostility were associated with shifts towards more universal and uncontrollable attributions.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 24 , Issue 4 , November 1994 , pp. 905 - 911
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1994

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