Expressed Emotion, Burden, and Distress in Significant Others of People With Dementia

Significant others of people with dementia suffer high levels of burden and distress, creating the conditions for the negative attitudes and unhelpful responses described within the construct of Expressed Emotion (EE). It is not known however, whether EE then further enhances significant other burden and distress, and whether these processes operate early after symptoms of dementia have started. The current study used a longitudinal design to examine the potential influence of EE on burden and distress in significant others of people with a recent diagnosis of dementia. Sixty-one significant others of people with dementia were recruited. Significant other EE was coded from the Camberwell Family Interview. Significant other burden and distress, and relationship quality were collected through questionnaires at baseline and at 6-month follow-up. Significant other high-EE was associated with higher levels of burden and greater distress at both baseline and 6-month follow-up, when existing relationship quality was controlled for. High-EE significant others showed increases in burden and distress from baseline to follow-up not seen in low-EE significant others. Interventions aiming to modify significant other response styles and to reduce high-EE may potentially benefit significant others by reducing their levels of burden and distress.