INTIMACY AS A DETERMINANT OF EXPRESSED EMOTION IN CARERS OF PEOPLE WITH ALZHEIMERS-DISEASE

Background. Although high expressed emotion (EE) has been found to be an important predictor of poor prognosis in a wide range of conditions such as schizophrenia, anorexia and depression no complete explanatio n exists for individual differences in EE responses The aim of this pa per is to investigate the role of intimacy in determining the level of EE in carers of people with dementia. Methods, Ninety-nine carers of people with dementia who presented to Old Age Psychiatry Services in S outh and Central Manchester completed questionnaires to ascertain past and current levels of intimacy. Camberwell Family Interviews (CFIs) w ere carried out to ascertain levels of EE. Results, Current intimacy w as found to be strongly related to EE such that low current intimacy w as associated With high EE and there was a significant difference betw een high and low intimacy groups on measures of criticism and hostilit y, though not warmth. Conclusions. The association found between intim acy and EE indicates that high EE may be a characteristic of low intim acy relationships between the carer and the cared-for-person. Since th e assessment of EE is time intensive, perhaps a measure of intimacy wi ll provide a short-hand screen for identifying critical and hostile ca ring environments.