In the present study, expressed emotion (EE) was assessed among immediate family members of 94 recent-onset schizophrenia patients at initial study entry point, and patients' electrodermal activity (EDA) was measured without the presence of family members at a baseline outpatient stabilization assessment. Psychiatric symptoms were also rated, both at the baseline outpatient test, and at one-year follow-up. Electrodermal Activity × Expressed Emotion interactions were observed at both test points. In each case, the highest levels of negative symptoms were observed among those who exhibited greater EDA and occurred in a high-EE environment. These results support the view that the combination of high family EE and sympathetic nervous system arousal confer especially high risk for poor negative symptom outcomes.
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