Relationship Between Shame Attitude Towards Mental Disorders and Expressed Emotion in Family Members of People with Bipolar and Schizophrenia

This study was sought to investigate the components of shame attitudes towards mental disorders and their role in predicting expressed emotions in family members of people with bipolar and schizophrenia disorders. Samples consisted of 85 family members of outpatients with bipolar and schizophrenia disorders from Imam Hossain psychiatry ward. All participants were asked to complete Family questionnaire and Attitudes towards mental disorder scale. Results showed that 47% of participants evaluated social attitudes towards mental disorders as negative, while 35% evaluated family attitudes as negative. Bipolar patient's relatives reported more external shame from society, and female participants scored higher in external shame from family. There were significant associations between expressed emotion and shame attitudes towards mental disorders. Reflected shame about family and internal shame significantly predicted expressed emotion. Shame have a role in negative attitude toward mental illness and can predict thee expressed emotion