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Psychophysiological Responses of Schizophrenic Patients to High and Low Expressed Emotion Relatives: A Follow-up Study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

David Sturgeon ,
Graham Turpin ,
Liz Kuipers ,
Ruth Berkowitz  and
Julian Leff
David Sturgeon
Affiliation:
Department of Mental Health, School of Medicine, University College, London, WC1
Graham Turpin
Affiliation:
M.R.C. Social Psychiatry Unit, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London SE5
Liz Kuipers
Affiliation:
M.R.C. Social Psychiatry Unit, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London SE5
Ruth Berkowitz
Affiliation:
M.R.C. Social Psychiatry Unit, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London SE5
Julian Leff
Affiliation:
M.R.C. Social Psychiatry Unit, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London SE5
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Summary

Measurements of skin conductance response frequencies (SCRf) were obtained from 30 acutely ill schizophrenic patients during a standardised videotaped interview, conducted with the patient's key relative present. Significant differences in SCRf's were demonstrated between patients whose relatives had high and low Expressed Emotion (EE) respectively. Patients at high risk of relapse were allocated either to a control or an experimental group, the latter being offered a number of social interventions in order to reduce the relative's EE and/or contact with the patient. Follow-up measurements were obtained on 19 patients nine months after discharge. Although social intervention was highly successful in reducing relapse rates, its effects did not appear to be directly mediated via SCRf, which was found to be independently related to relapse.

Type
Research Article
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 145 , Issue 1 , July 1984 , pp. 62 - 69
Copyright
Copyright © 1984 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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