Name of Concept
Expressed Emotion in Families
Introduction
Expressed emotion (EE) was first identified through studies of patients with schizophrenia and their families. Researchers explored various factors contributing to patient relapse given high rates of hospital recidivism and decompensation among patients diagnosed with schizophrenia. A patient’s family environment and emotional ties were identified as key predictors of treatment relapse and treatment outcomes. Over time EE has been more generally recognized as a family-specific influence effecting the course of treatment for several psychological disorders. Although EE studies initially focused on posttreatment outcomes, a series of family-based interventions have been targeted to influence family environments and to address the core effects of EE.
Theoretical Context for Concept
During the 1950s, George Brown was completing his undergraduate study when he was offered a research position at the Maudsley Hospital in London to...
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Myung, H.S., Furrow, J.L. (2019). Expressed Emotion in Families. In: Lebow, J.L., Chambers, A.L., Breunlin, D.C. (eds) Encyclopedia of Couple and Family Therapy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-49425-8_415
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-49425-8_415
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