A STUDY OF EXPRESSED EMOTION IN THE PARENTAL PRIMARY CARERS OF ADOLESCENTS WITH INTELLECTUAL IMPAIRMENT

Expressed emotion (EE) was measured in the parental primary carer (car er) of 92 adolescents with intellectual impairment to examine its asso ciated characteristics. High EE was mainly a result of high levels of emotional. overinvolvement. High EE was associated with psychological illhealth, poor-quality marriage and poor practical social support of the carer, and psychiatric disorder in the adolescent with intellectua l impairment. This suggests that EE may be a useful indicator of copin g difficulties in these families. The subgroup of high EE emotional ov erinvolvement was associated with a carer with more psychological illh ealth, a worse-quality marriage, less practical social support, greate r professional support and an insecure style of respite care usage for an adolescent of greater intellectual impairment. The subgroup of cri ticism have an adolescent of less severe intellectual impairment, more behavioural disturbance and yet the carer has less professional suppo rt. Appreciation of the quality of the relationship of the carer with their dependent family member may enable greater understanding of how to improve the quality of life for both the carer and the cared for.