G. Van Humbeeck

Expressed emotion: A review of assessment instruments

Expressed emotion (EE) refers to the quality of the emotional climate between a relative and a family member with a serious psychiatric disorder. Well-established, it has proven to be a reliable predictor of the relapse rate of psychiatric patients. In this article, the Camberwell Family Interview (CFI), the standard instrument, and 11 alternative EE measures will be presented and discussed with regard to their psychometric properties. It is concluded that the CFI remains the best instrument for assessing the quality of the relationship.

Expressed emotion in staff-patient relationships: the professionals' and residents' perspectives

Background: Expressed emotion (EE) is a well-established, important predictor of the relapse rate of patients suffering from schizophrenia and other severe psychiatric disorders. EE measures the quality of the social interaction between a patient and his most important (in)formal caregiver. The aim of this study was to investigate the quality of the relationship in the staff-patient dyad as measured by the concept of EE. Methods: EE was assessed using the Camberwell Family Interview (CFI, professionals) and the Perceived Criticism Scale (PCS, residents and professionals form) in a sample of 56 professional caregivers and their residents in nine sheltered living facilities in Flanders. Results: Depending on the instrument, high EE was found to exist in one out of six (CFI) or one out of three (PCS) relationships. There was a significant positive correlation between the resident PCS and the critical comment scale of the CFI. Conclusions: The results of this study support the hypothesis that high levels of EE exist in some staff-resident relationships, which are mainly manifest as frequent critical comments and the presence of hostility. Emotional overinvolvement appears to be exceptional. Compared with the PCS, the CFI provides the most information about the quality of the relationship.

Mental health, burnout and job satisfaction among professionals in sheltered living in Flanders. A pilot study.

Abstract.Background:Interest has been growing over the last few years in the working conditions of professionals who deal with clients with severe and chronic mental illnesses. In this study, the relationship between the affective climate, as measured by the construct of expressed emotion, and professionals’ feelings of well-being and burnout was investigated. It was hypothesised that high expressed emotion (EE) (= a high amount of criticism, hostility or emotional overinvolvement) would be related to high burnout scores.Methods:Fifty-six professionals were interviewed about their schizophrenic clients who resided in sheltered-living houses in Flanders. EE was measured with two instruments, the Camberwell Family Interview (CFI) and the Perceived Criticism Scale (PCS). The professionals’ characteristics were mental health (Symptom Checklist, SCL-90), job satisfaction (VEVAK), and burnout (a Dutch version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory, UBOS-C).Results:Little indication was found for an association between EE and working conditions as measured with the CFI. For the PCS, a significant relationship was found between the resident version of the PCS and burnout. The professionals who were perceived by the residents as being very critical were less depersonalised and less emotionally exhausted than those who were not so perceived.Conclusions:High EE relationships can exist without feelings of stress and burnout.

The Care Perception Questionnaire

Summary: Major changes have taken place over the last decade in the mental health care services in Belgium as well as in the rest of Europe. To track these developments, Shepherd and colleagues developed an instrument to assess the degree of perceived accomplishment of 11 key areas in such care. This instrument was translated and adapted as the Care Perception Questionnaire. In clinical settings the instrument can be a good tool for exploring the perspective of patients and professionals regarding the 11 key areas. However, for research purposes it is not practical to work with the 28 separate items or with the 11 key areas. The goal of this study is to reduce the 11 key areas to a smaller number of scales with good psychometric properties and with relevance to clinical practice. Using principal-component analysis by means of promax rotation and scale construction, we developed four statistically reliable and meaningful scales: (1) support in social relations and practical aid, (2) treatment and monitorin...

A computer-managed training in problem-solving

This article presents the design of a large scale computer-managed training in problem-solving on applied mathematics and basic physics run at the University of Leuven for 340 first year medical students. The training is based on a general expert strategy. Students work discontinuously on-line, i.e., they are corrected, helped and evaluated at a terminal but the calculation is done at separate tables. Some tentative results are given.