The Impact of Family Environment on Self-esteem and Symptoms in Early Psychosis
- UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
- Thomas R. Kwapil, Associate Professor (Creator)
- Institution
- The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
- Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/
Abstract: Expressed emotion (EE) and self-esteem (SE) have been implicated in the onset and developmentof paranoia and positive symptoms of psychosis. However, the impact of EE on patients’ SE andultimately on symptoms in the early stages of psychosis is still not fully understood. The mainobjectives of this study were to examine whether: (1) patients’ SE mediated the effect of relatives’EE on patients’ positive symptoms and paranoia; (2) patients’ perceived EE mediated the effect ofrelatives’ EE on patients’ SE; (3) patients’ SE mediated between patients’ perceived EE andpatients’ symptomatology; and (4) patients’ perceived EE and patients’ SE serially mediated theeffect of relatives’ EE on patients’ positive symptoms and paranoia. Incipient psychosis patients(at-risk mental states and first-episode of psychosis) and their respective relatives completedmeasures of EE, SE, and symptoms. Findings indicated that: (1) patients’ perceived EE mediatedthe link between relatives’ EE and patients’ negative, but not positive, SE; (2) patients’ negativeSE mediated the effect of patients’ perceived EE on positive symptoms and paranoia; (3) theassociation of relatives’ EE with positive symptoms and paranoia was serially mediated by anincreased level of patients’ perceived EE leading to increases in negative SE; (4) high levels ofpatients’ distress moderated the effect of relatives’ EE on symptoms through patients’ perceivedEE and negative SE. Findings emphasize that patients’ SE is relevant for understanding howmicrosocial environmental factors impact formation and expression of positive symptoms andparanoia in early psychosis. They suggest that broader interventions for patients and their relativesaiming at improving family dynamics might also improve patients’ negative SE and symptoms.
The Impact of Family Environment on Self-esteem and Symptoms in Early Psychosis
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Created on 4/5/2023
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Additional Information
- Publication
- PLoS ONE 16(4)
- Language: English
- Date: 2021
- Keywords
- psychoses, psychological attitudes, anxiety, emotions, depression, principal
component analysis, psychological stress, medical risk factors, mental health