Expressed Emotion
Also written as: EE — Expressed Emotion
A measure of the emotional climate within a family, specifically the level of criticism, hostility, and emotional over-involvement directed toward a family member with serious mental illness.
Full Definition
Expressed Emotion (EE) is a research-validated construct used in behavioral health to assess family interaction patterns that predict relapse in conditions such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression. High EE environments—characterized by high levels of critical comments, hostility, or emotional over-involvement—are associated with significantly elevated relapse rates compared with low EE environments. EE is typically assessed using the Camberwell Family Interview (CFI) or shorter validated instruments. Family psychoeducation interventions frequently target reduction of EE. Editors working on family therapy manuals, psychoeducation curricula, or research papers must treat 'expressed emotion' as a technical term of art and not paraphrase it as 'showing emotion' or 'emotional expression.'
Usage
Usage note: Do not paraphrase 'expressed emotion' in clinical or research documents as 'emotional expression'—these are distinct constructs. Always capitalize as 'Expressed Emotion' when used as the formal research construct, and provide the abbreviation EE on first use.
In Context
- "Research consistently shows that patients returning to high-expressed-emotion households have a significantly higher rate of psychotic relapse within nine months." — Research article abstract
- "The family psychoeducation module specifically addresses how to reduce expressed emotion without diminishing family engagement in the recovery process." — Psychoeducation curriculum guide