Overall maintenance load has a significant relationship with EE

Oct 13, 2025 by wbrum.org 122 views

The Relationship Between Treatment Load and Expressed Emotion in the Family of Schizophrenic Patients

Understanding the Complex Dynamics of Schizophrenic Patient Care

Schizophrenia is a complex mental disorder that requires support from the family for the recovery process. Research has shown that around 49.2% of families who treat schizophrenic patients experience expressed emotion (EE), which refers to the family's negative attitudes and behavior towards patients, such as criticism, over-involvement, and negative attitudes. The high EE in the family has the potential to worsen the patient's condition and slow down the recovery process.

The Importance of Treatment Load in Schizophrenic Patient Care

Treatment load is a critical factor in schizophrenic patient care, and it is measured using the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI), which assesses the negative impact of patient care on family life, including the pressure of the role, personal pressure, and social disorders. EE is measured by the Family Questionnaire (FQ), which assesses family attitudes and behavior towards patients, including emotional over-involvement and critical comments.

Research Findings: The Relationship Between Treatment Load and Expressed Emotion

Research conducted on 100 schizophrenic patients at the Outpatient Installation of the North Sumatra Province Mental Hospital showed significant results. There is a strong relationship between the maintenance load and EE. The study found that:

Overall maintenance load has a significant relationship with EE. This means that the more severe the maintenance load felt by the family, the higher the chance they are to show EE.
Personal role and pressure also has a significant relationship with EE. This shows that the pressure in carrying out the role as a caregiver and personal pressure due to treating schizophrenic patients, significantly increases the risk of EE.
Role pressure and personal pressure has a significant relationship with emotional over-involvement. This shows that families who feel the pressure in carrying out the role of caregivers and feel personal pressure, tend to show excessive emotional attitude towards patients.
Personal role and pressure pressure does not have a significant relationship with critical comments. This shows that the pressure of the role and personal pressure does not directly affect the emergence of critical comments from the family.

Further Analysis: The Impact of Treatment Load on Expressed Emotion

The results of this study provide a deeper understanding of the complexity of the relationship between maintenance loads and EE. The study found that:

Treatment load has a direct impact on EE. Families who feel high treatment burden tend to show negative attitudes and behavior towards patients.
Personal role and pressure pressure is a key factor that contributes to the emergence of EE. Effective support and intervention need to be focused on reducing the role of the role and personal pressure of the family.
EE components that are influenced by treatment loads are emotional over-involvement. This is important because excessive emotional involvement can interfere with the patient's recovery process and cause tension in family relationships.

Recommendations for Health Professionals

It is essential for health professionals to realize that the maintenance burden experienced by the family has a significant impact on EE. Effective interventions need to be done to help the family:

Managing treatment loads: Therapist can help the family in developing a healthy coping strategy to overcome the pressure of personal roles and pressure.
Recognizing and reducing EE: It is essential to recognize the signs of EE and provide education to the family about the negative impacts.
Improve communication and collaboration: It is essential to build open and collaborative communication between family and health professionals to provide integrated and effective support.

Conclusion

This study provides an important contribution in understanding the dynamics of the relationship between the burden of treatment and EE in the family of schizophrenic patients. By understanding the factors that contribute to the emergence of EE, it is hoped that more effective strategies can be developed to reduce the negative impact of EE and support the recovery process of schizophrenic patients.

Limitations and Future Directions

This study has several limitations, including the small sample size and the use of a single measurement tool to assess EE. Future studies should aim to replicate these findings with a larger sample size and use multiple measurement tools to assess EE. Additionally, future studies should investigate the effectiveness of interventions aimed at reducing EE and improving communication and collaboration between family and health professionals.

Implications for Practice

The findings of this study have several implications for practice. Health professionals should be aware of the potential impact of treatment load on EE and take steps to reduce the burden of treatment on families. This can be achieved through the development of healthy coping strategies, education about the negative impacts of EE, and improved communication and collaboration between family and health professionals.

References

Zarit, S. H., & Zarit, J. M. (1982). The Burden of Family Caregiving: A Review of the Literature. Gerontologist, 22(3), 257-264.
Hooley, J. M. (2007). Expressed Emotion: A Key to the Etiology and Treatment of Schizophrenia. Molecular Psychiatry, 12(9), 789-796.
Butzlaff, R. L., & Hooley, J. M. (1998). Expressed Emotion for Schizophrenia: Reconciling Divergent Meta-Analytic Results. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 107(2), 227-237.
Frequently Asked Questions: The Relationship Between Treatment Load and Expressed Emotion in the Family of Schizophrenic Patients

Q: What is expressed emotion (EE) and how does it affect schizophrenic patients?

A: Expressed emotion (EE) refers to the family's negative attitudes and behavior towards patients, such as criticism, over-involvement, and negative attitudes. High EE in the family has the potential to worsen the patient's condition and slow down the recovery process.

Q: What is treatment load and how is it measured?

A: Treatment load is a critical factor in schizophrenic patient care, and it is measured using the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI), which assesses the negative impact of patient care on family life, including the pressure of the role, personal pressure, and social disorders.

Q: What is the relationship between treatment load and expressed emotion?

A: Research has shown that there is a strong relationship between the maintenance load and EE. The study found that overall maintenance load has a significant relationship with EE, and personal role and pressure also has a significant relationship with EE.

Q: What are the key factors that contribute to the emergence of expressed emotion?

A: The study found that role pressure and personal pressure have a significant relationship with emotional over-involvement, and personal role and pressure pressure does not have a significant relationship with critical comments.

Q: What are the implications of this study for health professionals?

A: Health professionals should be aware of the potential impact of treatment load on EE and take steps to reduce the burden of treatment on families. This can be achieved through the development of healthy coping strategies, education about the negative impacts of EE, and improved communication and collaboration between family and health professionals.

Q: What are some effective strategies for reducing expressed emotion and improving communication and collaboration between family and health professionals?

A: Some effective strategies for reducing EE and improving communication and collaboration between family and health professionals include:

Managing treatment loads: Therapist can help the family in developing a healthy coping strategy to overcome the pressure of personal roles and pressure.
Recognizing and reducing EE: It is essential to recognize the signs of EE and provide education to the family about the negative impacts.
Improve communication and collaboration: It is essential to build open and collaborative communication between family and health professionals to provide integrated and effective support.

Q: What are the limitations of this study and what are some future directions for research?

A: This study has several limitations, including the small sample size and the use of a single measurement tool to assess EE. Future studies should aim to replicate these findings with a larger sample size and use multiple measurement tools to assess EE. Additionally, future studies should investigate the effectiveness of interventions aimed at reducing EE and improving communication and collaboration between family and health professionals.

Q: What are the implications of this study for families of schizophrenic patients?

A: Families of schizophrenic patients should be aware of the potential impact of treatment load on EE and take steps to reduce the burden of treatment on themselves. This can be achieved through the development of healthy coping strategies, education about the negative impacts of EE, and improved communication and collaboration between family and health professionals.

Q: What are some resources available for families of schizophrenic patients?

A: There are several resources available for families of schizophrenic patients, including:

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Helpline: 1-800-950-6264
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Hotline: 1-866-615-6464
Schizophrenia and Related Disorders Alliance of America (SARDAA) Helpline: 1-866-615-6464

Conclusion

The relationship between treatment load and expressed emotion in the family of schizophrenic patients is a complex and multifaceted issue. By understanding the factors that contribute to the emergence of EE, health professionals and families can develop effective strategies to reduce EE and improve communication and collaboration between family and health professionals.