Psychiatry Research
Volume 109, Issue 3 , Pages 265-279, 15 April 2002

The Family Questionnaire: Development and validation of a new self-report scale for assessing expressed emotion

  • Georg Wiedemann

      Affiliations

    • University of Tübingen, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Osianderstr. 24, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Tel.: +49-7071-298 2297; fax: +49-7071-29 4141
    • ,
  • Oliver Rayki

      Affiliations

    • University of Tübingen, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Osianderstr. 24, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany
    • ,
  • Elias Feinstein

      Affiliations

    • Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Kraepelinstr. 2-10, D-80804 Munich, Germany
    • ,
  • Kurt Hahlweg

      Affiliations

    • Technical University of Braunschweig, Institute of Psychology, Spielmannstr. 12A, D-38106 Braunschweig, Germany

Received 14 May 2001; received in revised form 17 January 2002; accepted 27 January 2002.

Abstract 

The level of expressed emotion (EE) as assessed in the Camberwell Family Interview (CFI) has proved to be one of the best predictors of relapse in schizophrenia. The present study describes the development and validation of the Family Questionnaire (FQ), a brief self-report questionnaire measuring the EE status (criticism, emotional overinvolvement) of relatives of patients with schizophrenia. The FQ classifications in the initial sample of relatives (N=76) correlated significantly with the ratings in the CFI subcategories ‘criticism’ (78% correct classifications) and ‘emotional overinvolvement’ (71% correct classifications), as well as with the overall CFI EE ratings (74% correct classifications). A validation study in an independent second sample (N=79) yielded similar results. The overall correct classification rate of 74% remained unchanged. The FQ had better agreement with the CFI on emotional overinvolvement than did other short EE questionnaires.

Keywords:  Expressed emotion, Camberwell Family Interview, Emotional overinvolvement, Schizophrenia, Relatives, Family Questionnaire (FQ)

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PII: S0165-1781(02)00023-9

Psychiatry Research
Volume 109, Issue 3 , Pages 265-279, 15 April 2002

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