Perception of negative emotions in close relatives by patients with schizophrenia

Objectives. The perception of negative emotions in close relatives may play an important role in explaining how external stressors can affect vulnerab le individuals with schizophrenia. However, there is considerable debate ab out the ability of people with schizophrenia to perceive emotions in others . The present study aimed to examine the reliability of patients' perceptio n of relatives' criticism. Secondly, it aimed to investigate whether patien ts' judgement about relatives' criticism agreed with an independent assessm ent of relatives' criticism towards patients. Method. Forty-three patients with a DSM-III-R diagnosis of schizophrenia an d their relatives were assessed soon after patients' admission to a psychia tric hospital and again 9 months after their discharge from hospital. Test- retest reliability of patients' answers to a question about patients' perce ption of relatives' criticism towards them was carried out. The association between patients' perception of relatives' criticism and the expressed emo tion (EE) measure of relatives' criticism was examined at inclusion and fol low-up. Patients' symptomatology was examined at both assessments. Results. Reliability of the measurement of patients' perception of relative s' criticism was moderate to good. Patients' judgement of relatives' critic ism cowards them was associated with the number of critical comments and pr esence of hostility at inclusion. At follow-up, this association became wea ker. Conclusion. The ability to judge and describe reliably negative emotions :i n close relationships may help to explain how perception of the external en vironment may act as a stressor in people who are vulnerable to schizophren ia.