Service User Perceived Criticism and Warmth (SU-PCaW) Questionnaire

Background: The outcomes for a wide range of physical and mental health conditions can be influenced by the level of criticism and warmth in the family environment known in the literature as Expressed Emotion (EE). This finding is also true for individuals with an At-Risk Mental State (ARMS) for psychosis with individual’s perceptions of EE predicting transition to psychosis. While the original concept of EE incorporates both positive and negative aspects of relationships, most measures of EE and research focus on the negative aspects of relationships. Positive factors are also important and associated with improvements in functioning and reduced symptoms. However, the absence of a comprehensive, self-report measure of positive aspects of EE has hindered research in this area. Methods: This study aimed to investigate the reliability and validity of a new 10-item Service User Perceived Criticism and Warmth Questionnaire (SU-PCaW) based on the 2-item Perceived Criticism and 2-item Perceived Warmth questionnaires. Results: The measure was quick and easy to administer and had high internal consistency and reliability. Conclusion: This measure would aid services in screening families for therapy, be helpful in evaluating family intervention in groups such as the ARMS population and a useful measure for future research developments.