Responds to the comments by J. M. Hooley and D. J. Miklowitz (see record 1996-04775-001) on the original article (Okasha et al, see record 1994-45335-001) regarding expressed emotion and depression in Egypt. The cutoff score of 7 was chosen based on the highest value of relative risk. Criticism level is a risk factor, while other factors affect the risk of relapse. Thus, criticism level in many cases could be a target for change by family intervention. Regarding the issue of diagnostic heterogeneity in the original study, the data are being reanalyzed according to subtypes of depression rather than treating major depression as one diagnostic category.