Controllability perceptions and reactions to symptoms of schizophrenia: a within-family comparison of relatives with high and low expressed emotion

In a sample of 35 family members of patients with recent-onset schizophrenia, attributions of control and the content of critical comments were compared for 2 relatives of the same household who held discrepant expressed emotion (EE) attitudes (1 high and 1 low) toward their mentally ill family member. Attributions and the content of critical comments were also compared for low-EE relatives from low-EE homes versus low-EE relatives from high-EE homes. Our results indicate that high-EE relatives tend to attribute more control over behavior to patients than do low-EE relatives of the same patient. In addition, low-EE relatives from high-EE homes attribute more behavioral control to patients than do low-EE relatives from low-EE homes. These findings suggest that EE status is linked to attributions of control over behaviors, but additional patient factors or influences among family members may also affect EE attitudes.