Schizophrenic patients seem to react sensitively to expressed affect. Expressed emotion research has shown the negative impact of specific family communication styles on the course of illness. Further studies have discussed its relation to gender. This study examines the dyadic aspects of the therapist-patient relationship, the interaction between therapist's ratings and patient's psychopathology, and the predictive value concerning the course of illness. Results show a significant association with gender. Male therapists were inclined to reduce their therapeutic commitment when being confronted with patients who suffered from disturbances Of ego-function, attention, or perception. Female therapists felt rejected by patients with delusions and with formal thought disorders, but perceived themselves as competent when dealing with anergic patients. Furthermore, patients with a less favorable course of illness at the 2-year follow-up could be discriminated by the quality of the therapist-patient relationship at the end of the primary therapeutic intervention.
