EXPRESSED EMOTION AND SOCIAL SUPPORT IN A LCOHOL-DEPENDENT MEN AND THEIR SPOUSES

The Expressed Emotion (EE) status and social support in male alcohol d ependent patients and their spouses was assessed as compared to health y controls. It was hypothesized that high EE would be more frequently found in alcoholics and their spouses and that alcoholics and their sp ouses would indicate less social support and more social strain than t heir controls. Twenty male alcohol dependent patients (A) and their sp ouses (AS) and 20 control couples participated in the study. The Five- Minute Speech Sample was used to measure the EE status. Social support and social strain were assessed via a questionnaire. High EE was foun d significantly more often in A and AS than in controls. Social suppor t was lower for A and AS, and social strain was higher for A only. In light of these findings it would seem important to test the prognostic value of the EE status for the course of alcohol dependence. In addit ion, the results suggest that it may be crucial not to restrict therap y to the patient but to also integrate the partner.