Expressed Emotion and Relapse of Alcohol Use Disorder

Expressed emotion (EE) is especially relevant in the Indian cultural context, where patients have longer and more enduring contact with family members, who play an important role as caregivers during the process of treatment & rehabilitation. A cross sectional case control study was carried out to study the relationship between EE and relapse of alcohol use. Participants included 60 participants, comprising of 30 cases and 30 controls. Tools used were FEICS, and additional questionnaires for assessment of alcohol use pattern and sociodemographic data. High expressed emotion and high perceived criticism in the family environment were found to be significantly associated with shorter period of abstinence and more frequent relapses. However, no significant correlation was found between high emotional involvement and relapse, which could perhaps be explained by the influence of cultural factors.Early identification and development of strategies targeting EE could help maintain recovery and prevent relapse.