Communication deviance in families of schizophrenic and manic patients.

Abstract

Levels of communication deviance (CD) distinguish parents of schizophrenic patients from parents of nonpsychotic patients, but the prevalence of intrafamilial CD in other psychotic disorders has not been examined. Levels of CD were compared across biological parents of schizophrenic (n = 39) and bipolar manic (n = 16) patients and across patients themselves. CD ratings were based on Thematic Apperception Test protocols (parents only) and family interactions (parents and patients). Total levels of CD did not distinguish between groups of parents or patients. However, instances of odd word usage were more frequent among parents of manic patients than among parents of schizophrenic patients on both CD measures. Also, during the interaction task, odd word usage was more frequent among manic patients, whereas schizophrenic patients made more ambiguous references. Results suggest that high levels of intrafamilial CD are not unique to schizophrenia.

Influence of Family Factors in Causing Different Psychiatric Disorders: A Systematic Review

“…Parents of manic patients also appear to be more likely to make tangential, inappropriate remarks than do parents of schizophrenia patients. During the interactions used to assess communication deviance, manic patients, as well as their parents, demonstrated odd word usage and unusually constructed sentences more frequently than schizophrenia patients (Miklowitz et al, 1991). In case of expressed emotion bipolar patients who return to live with high-EE families relapse at almost twice the rate (90% vs. 54%) of those living in low-EE family environments (Miklowitz et al, 1988).…”

“…These authors categorized a pattern of unclear, fragmented, disruptive, or amorphous communication that they observed in relatives of patients with schizophrenia. Later studies identified greater levels of CD in the parents of patients with schizophrenia compared with either the parents of healthy control children or the parents of children with non-psychotic disorders (Miklowitz et al, 1991;Hooley & Hiller, 2001). This suggests that these parents have difficulty in establishing and maintaining a common focus of attention.…”

Mapping early environment using communication deviance: A longitudinal study of maternal sensitivity towards 6-month-old children

“…The construct reflects a range of perceptual-cognitive and linguistic-verbal reasoning atypicalities that are believed to impair the establishment and maintenance of focus of attention during communication and hence compromise the development of grounding, shared meaning and conversational alignment between interlocutors (Miklowitz & Stackman, 1992;Nuechterlein, Goldstein, Ventura, Dawson, & Doane, reported associations between parental communication that is vague, contradictory and disconfirming and both anxiety (Wichstrøm, Holte, & Wynne, 1993) and poorer social competence in 7 and 10 year old offspring (Wichstrøm, Holte, Husbey, & Wynne, 1994;Wichstrøm, Holte, Husby, & Wynne, 1993). Interestingly, in the same high-risk cohort, but at longer follow-up (≥18 years of age), disqualifying communication in parents significantly predicted psychological distress, well-being and global mental health in their children .…”

Exploring a multifactorial, clinical model of thought disorder : application of a dimensional, transdiagnostic approach.

“…The current results add to an already large body of evidence suggesting that children in families with psychosis are at increased risk for a range of psychological problems (Miklowitz & Stackman, 1992;Wynne, 1994;). Regardless of the relative influences of biological and environmental causes, psychosis, like any other psychological, social, or medical problem one might face, is an undeniable source of stress for the individual and their family.…”

“…Communication deviance within families has been found to predict a range of affectrelated outcomes, including poor eye contact, avoidance of emotions, and higher levels of distress (Miklowitz & Stackman, 1992). Families characterized as having a high level of CD have also been shown to exhibit greater cognitive deterioration during periods of emotional arousal, including difficulty with attention and concentration (Lewis et al, 1981).…”