The literature is reviewed on three family risk indicators that have p
rognostic significance in schizophrenia: expressed emotion, affective
style, and communication deviance, each measured in key relatives of s
chizophrenia patients. Expressed emotion and affective style have been
used primarily to characterize family environments that predispose pa
tients to psychotic relapses. Communication deviance has been used pri
marily to distinguish the communication styles of families of schizoph
renia patients from those of families without schizophrenia. Data on t
he roles of genetic, biological, and psychosocial factors in the origi
ns of these family attributes are reviewed. Although studies of family
risk indicators have yielded relatively consistent cross-sectional an
d longitudinal findings, much remains to be clarified about what these
constructs actually measure and their mechanisms of prediction. The i
mplications of family risk research for prevention efforts are discuss
ed.