Negative Caregiving Experience: A Predictor of High Expressed Emotion Among Caregivers of Relatives With Schizophrenia

With the advent of deinstitutionalization, caregivers have increasingly assumed greater responsibility for the care of their mentally ill relatives, with the consequent negative caregiving experience a likely cause of stress manifested in heightened expressed emotion (EE). This article reports the findings of a survey to identify predictors of high EE among caregivers of relatives with schizophrenia based on the stress-coping model. Caregivers' appraisal of difficult behaviors and dependency were identified as the primary predictor of critical comments and emotional overinvolvement, respectively. Implications for clinical intervention, policy changes, and future research are discussed.