Guilt proneness and expressed emotion in relatives of patients with schizophrenia or related psychoses

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Abstract
Objective. Knowledge of what predicts relatives' expressed emotion (EE) may contribute to improved family work in schizophrenia. In the present study we examined guilt proneness as a determinant of EE components.Method. In a Norwegian sample of 46 recently hospitalized patients (schizophrenia or schizophreniform disorder) and 69 relatives, relatives' expressed emotion was assessed by means of the Camberwell Family Interview, and guilt proneness by means of the Revised Mosher Guilt Inventory (RMGI).Results. Confirmatory multiple regression analyses showed that hostility‐guilt (RMGI) was negatively related to high levels of criticism and hostility and, for men, positively related to emotional overinvolvement. There was a strong positive relationship between relatives' guilty conscience (RMGI) and emotional overinvolvement if the patient had a diagnosis of schizophrenia.Conclusions. Our analyses indicate that relatives’ guilt proneness may be a determinant of their criticism, hostility and emotional overinvolvement towards a schizophrenic family member. This personality trait should be taken into account in family work which aims at modifying relatives’ expressed emotion.