Childhood trauma, voice-to-voice dialogue and identity fragmentation
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Hearing voices as a dialogical experience: investigating the relationship between childhood trauma and voice-to-voice dialogue, and the mediating role of identity fragmentation.
IRAS ID
349477
Contact name
Roberta Fichera
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 14 days
Research summary
The voice-to-voice dialogue concept in the context of hearing voices, as discussed by Perona-Garcelan and colleagues (2015), is a psychological and clinical framework that focuses on the way individuals who hear voices experience and interact with those voices in their minds. In this framework, voice-to-voice dialogue refers to the internal dialogue or conversation that the individual has with the voices they hear.
This research aims to investigate the relationship between childhood trauma and this voice-to-voice dialogue. The study will explore whether people who have experienced childhood trauma are likely to develop a voice-to-voice dialogue with the voices they hear as adults.
The research will also examine whether identity fragmentation (having a divided sense of self), and dissociation (feeling disconnected from one's thoughts or experiences)in the exploratory analysis, play a role in this relationship. These factors may help explain how childhood trauma might lead to the development of voice-to-voice dialogue.
Participants will be adults voice-hearers, recruited through NHS services, community organisations and social media. They will complete online questionnaires about their childhood experiences, voice-hearing, identity fragmentation, and dissociative experiences.
The study aims to provide evidence for a theoretical model that views voice-hearing as an internal dialogue between different aspects of oneself, which may become fragmented due to traumatic experiences. Understanding these relationships could help improve treatments for distressing voice-hearing experiences.
This research is important because voice-hearing can significantly impact quality of life, and is often associated with mental health difficulties. By exploring the links between childhood trauma and the nature of voice-hearing experiences, we may gain insights that could inform more effective and personalised interventions for those who find their voices distressing.
The study will last approximately one year, and participants will complete a one-time online survey taking about 30-45 minutes. The research is being conducted by researchers at the University of Oxford and funded by the university.
REC name
London - Queen Square Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/LO/0783
Date of REC Opinion
21 Oct 2025
REC opinion
Unfavourable Opinion