Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-2plfb Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-24T23:04:15.009Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Expressed emotion and perceived family interaction in the key relatives of elderly patients with dementia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

Jim Orford ,
Paul O'Reilly  and
Arnold Goonatilleke
Jim Orford*
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Psychology, Exeter Health Authority, Department of Psychology, University of Exeter
Paul O'Reilly
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Psychology, Exeter Health Authority, Department of Psychology, University of Exeter
Arnold Goonatilleke
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Psychology, Exeter Health Authority, Department of Psychology, University of Exeter
*
1Address for correspondence: Dr J. Orford, Department of Clinical Psychology, Exeter Health Authority, Larkby, Victoria Park Road, Exeter EX2 4NU.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Synopsis

Four groups of families were investigated using an interview designed to assess expressed emotion (EE) in relatives of psychiatric patients and a family interaction questionnaire (FIQ) based upon the Leary and Benjamin schemes for coding interpersonal behaviour. The families included 25 containing a psychiatric patient aged between 18 and 46, and three groups of 12 families each, all containing a patient over 60 (patients with dementia, a functional psychiatric disorder, or a chronic physical disorder respectively). In all cases data were obtained from key relatives.

The FIQ clearly separated out the group of dementia relatives who reported the most dominant and protective behaviours and the highest levels of hostile-dominance and the lowest levels of affection. EE was not found to be so sensitive to interactions occurring in families with a member with dementia, and the possible reasons for this are discussed.

Type
Research Article
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 17 , Issue 4 , November 1987 , pp. 963 - 970
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1987

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Benjamin, L. S. (1974). Structural analysis of social behaviour. Psychological Review 81, 392–425.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bergmann, K., Foster, E. M., Justice, A. W. & Matthews, V. (1978). Management of the demented elderly patient in the community. British Journal of Psychiatry 132, 441–449.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Brown, G. W., Birley, J. L. T. & Wing, J. K. (1972). Influence of family life on the course of schizophrenic disorders: a replication. British Journal of Psychiatry 121, 241–258.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gilhooly, M. (1983). The social dimensions of senile dementia. In Psychological Approaches to Care of the Elderly (ed. Hanley, I. and Hodge, J.), pp. 88–135. Croom Helm: London.Google Scholar
Gilhooly, M. (1987). Senile dementia in the family. In Coping with Disorder in the Family (ed. Orford, J.), pp. 138–168. Croom Helm: London.Google Scholar
Gilleard, C. J. (1984). Living with Dementia: Community Care of the Elderly Menially Infirm Croom Helm: London.Google Scholar
Gray, B. & Isaacs, B. (1979). Care of the Elderly Mentally Infirm Tavistock: London.Google Scholar
Hooley, J. M. (1986). Expressed emotion and depression: interactions between patients with high versus low expressed emotion spouses. Journal of Abnormal Psychology 95, 237–246.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kiesler, D. J. (1983). The 1982 Interpersonal Circle: a taxonomy for complementarity in human transactions, Psychological Review 90, 185–214.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
LaForge, R. & Suczek, R. F. (1955). The interpersonal dimensions of personality: an interpersonal checklist. Journal of Personality 24. 94–106.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Leary, T. (1957). Interpersonal Diagnosis of Personality: A Functional Theory and Methodology for Personality Evaluation Ronald: New York.Google Scholar
Maxwell, A. E. (1977). Coefficients of agreement between observers and their interpretation. British Journal of Psychiatry 130, 79–83.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Miklowitz, D., Goldstein, M., Falloon, I. & Doane, J. (1984). Interactional correlates of expressed emotion in the families of schizophrenics. British Journal of Psychiatry 144, 482–487.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Orford, J. (1986). The rules of interpersonal complementarity: does hostility beget hostility and dominance, submission? Psychological Review 93, 1–10.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Orford, J., Oppenheimer, E., Egert, S., Hensman, C. & Guthrie, S. (1976). The cohesiveness of alcoholism-complicated marriages and its influence on treatment outcome. British Journal of Psychiatry 128, 318–339.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Vaughn, C. & Leff, J. P. (1976). The influence of family and social factors on the course of psychiatric illness: a comparison of schizophrenic and depressed neurotic patients. British Journal of Psychiatry 129, 125–137.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed