Abstract

One of the main contributors to relapse in psychological disorders is highly expressed emotion (H.E.E.), which is
comprised of the critical, hostile, and emotionally over-involved attitude that caretakers have toward a patient with
a mental illness. Caretakers with H.E.E. have been identified as a cause of relapse in psychological disorders. The
stress from negative criticism and pity becomes a burden on the person with a disorder, and the only way to cope is
to relapse. The study was conducted to assess the knowledge of caretakers of patients with mental illness on H.E.E.
The study was conducted at Kampala International University Teaching Hospital (K.I.U–TH) with a cross-sectional
design utilizing both qualitative and quantitative techniques, and a study population of the caretakers of the patients
at K.I.U. – T.H. A sample of eighteen patients were used as this averaged the number of patients admitted in a month
utilizing a consecutive sampling technique. Data was collected with the aid of questionnaires that were translated
into the local language (Runyankole) and later back-translated to English and analyzed using a statistical package
for social sciences. The study revealed that the caretakers had little or no knowledge of H.E.E. and its effects on the
recovery process of patients with mental illness. The highest indicator was the criticism with an average of 36.8%
of the respondents found to express it in view of how they answered the questions. This was followed by both
emotional over-involvement and hostility at 31.6% of the total respondents. H.E.E. is thriving among caretakers of
the patients at K.I.U. – T.H. There is a need to correct this via education by the health workers who are consulted
by the caretakers at K.I.U. – T.H. Its effect on the recovery process has been well documented in causing higher
rates of relapse in patients who have caretakers who have H.E.E.