The Nithsdale Schizophrenia Survey. VII. Does relatives' high expressed emotion predict relapse?

A review of all known schizophrenic people living in Nithsdale in South-West Scotland identified long-stay in-patients, patients living on their own and those living with relatives showing low or high expressed emotion (EE). A prospective 12-month follow-up identified relapsing patients, defined as those readmitted to hospital with exacerbation of schizophrenic symptoms or a fresh episode of illness, or, if not readmitted, with a significant increase in antipsychotic medication. There was no difference in relapse rates in patients living on their own, with low-EE, or with high-EE relatives. Amount of contact with high-EE relatives did not affect relapse rates. The different results obtained from the Nithsdale group compared with one from Camberwell are discussed.