FAMILY INTERACTIONS OF SCHIZOPHRENIC AND SCHIZOAFFECTIVE PATIENTS - DETERMINANTS OF RELATIVES NEGATIVITY

Videotaped family problem-solving interactions of 57 schizophrenic or schizoaffective patients and their relatives were examined for predict ors of negativity of their communication behavior. Ratings of patients ' behaviors and independent assessments of patients' symptomatology we re used to predict the negativity of relatives in the videotaped inter action. The results indicated that severity of symptomatology was not related to relatives' negativity. Patients' social skill, as independe ntly assessed by a role-play test, also was not associated with relati ves' negativity. The regression results suggest that with both members of a patient-relative dyad, the quality of communication in a discuss ion is related to the other participant's level of negativity.