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Expressed Emotion and Schizophrenia in Italy

A Study of an Urban Population

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

P. Bertrando ,
J. Beltz ,
C. Bressi ,
M. Clerici ,
T. Farma ,
G. Invernizzi  and
C. L. Cazzullo
P. Bertrando*
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry of the University of Milan and the Association for Research on Schizophrenia (ARS), via Tamagno 5, I-20124 Milano, Italy
J. Beltz
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry of the University of Milan and ARS
C. Bressi
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry of the University of Milan and ARS
M. Clerici
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry of the University of Milan and ARS
T. Farma
Affiliation:
ARS
G. Invernizzi
Affiliation:
First Psychiatric Clinic, Institute of Psychiatry of the University of Milan
C. L. Cazzullo
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry of the University of Milan and Scientific Director of ARS
*
∗Correspondence
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Abstract

Forty-two schizophrenic patients and their close relatives took part in an Italian replication study of expressed emotion (EE). The patients were selected from the psychiatric ward of a general hospital in Milan and were subsequently followed up for nine months. All patients attended a community service clinic as out-patients, and all but one were prescribed neuroleptics for the duration of the study. Relatives were assigned to the high-EE group if they scored 4 or 5 on the emotional overinvolvement (EOI) scale, or showed hostility, or made six or more critical comments. On this basis, 18 (42%) families were rated as low EE and 24 (57%) as high EE. At follow-up, the admission rate for the 9-month period was significantly higher for the high-EE group (P<0.05). Furthermore, significantly fewer patients were readmitted from families showing high warmth (P<0.05). The presence of high warmth appeared to be associated with a lower admission rate, even in high-EE families.

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 161 , Issue 2 , August 1992 , pp. 223 - 229
Copyright
Copyright © 1992 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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