A Phenomenological Study: Family Experience in Expressed Emotion in Providing Care for Client with Risk of Aggressive Behavior

Abstract

Agressive and violent behaviors are among the symptoms manifested in individual with schizophrenia. The relationship between caregiving and mental disorder can be assessed through expressed emotion (EE). This study aimed to identify family experience in expressing emotion when providing care for client with risk of aggressive behavior. The design of the study was qualitative and it employed a phenomenological approach. Six participants were involved in an in-depth interview about their experiences in expressing emotion in providing care for client with risk of aggressive behavior. The findings identified three themes. These are; psychological responses followed by physical responses as manifestated by family response, hostility as reflection of family’s negative emotion, and positive interaction within family to meet psychological need. The findings may be used as a reference for nurses and families to consider EE when providing care for client with risk of aggressive behavior. The result emphasized that psychiatric nurses should consider EE when providing psychosocial interventions as this predicts the course of illness.