Publications

One of the main contributors to relapse in psychological disorders is highly expressed emotion (H.E.E.), which iscomprised of the critical, hostile, and emotionally over-involved attitude that caretakers have toward a patient witha mental illness. Caretakers with H.E.E. have been identified as a cause of relapse in psychological disorders. Thestress from negative criticism and pity becomes a burden on the person with a disorder, and the only way to cope isto relapse. The study was conducted to assess the knowledge of caretakers of patients with mental illness on H.E.E.The study was conducted at Kampala International University Teaching Hospital (K.I.U–TH) with a cross-sectionaldesign utilizing both qualitative and quantitative techniques, and a study population of the caretakers of the patientsat K.I.U. – T.H. A sample of eighteen patients were used as this averaged the number of patients admitted in a monthutilizing a consecutive sampling technique. Data was collected with the aid of questionnaires that were translatedinto the local language (Runyankole) and later back-translated to English and analyzed using a statistical packagefor social sciences. The study revealed that the caretakers had little or no knowledge of H.E.E. and its effects on therecovery process of patients with mental illness. The highest indicator was the criticism with an average of 36.8%of the respondents found to express it in view of how they answered the questions. This was followed by bothemotional over-involvement and hostility at 31.6% of the total respondents. H.E.E. is thriving among caretakers ofthe patients at K.I.U. – T.H. There is a need to correct this via education by the health workers who are consultedby the caretakers at K.I.U. – T.H. Its effect on the recovery process has been well documented in causing higherrates of relapse in patients who have caretakers who have H.E.E.