Distress related to visual hallucinations in psychosis and eye disease
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Distress associated with visual hallucinations in people with a psychotic condition (psychosis) and people with a physical illness (eye disease).
IRAS ID
171878
Contact name
Deborah Hannant
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 1 months, days
Research summary
Visual Hallucinations (VHs) are broadly described as seeing something that others do not. They are a common experience and widely reported by both clinical and non-clinical populations, for instance individuals with diagnosed psychiatric conditions, those with physical illnesses or within the general population, for example on the borders of sleep. Research into VHs has largely focused on those with organic conditions, such as eye disease and has neglected psychiatric conditions. For some, VHs can be extremely distressing and disabling (Collerton, Perry, & McKeith, 2005), however, this is not the case for everyone and levels of distress associated with VHs has been found to vary widely across disorders. For instance, distress in those with psychosis is reported to be higher than those with dementia and higher still than in those with eye disease (Collerton, Dudley, & Mosimann, 2011). A previous study comparing high and low distress groups in a relatively equal sample has suggested appraisals of VHs, that is how someone evaluates their experiences are the main cause of distress. However, no research has directly compared one population against another within the same study. Therefore, this study aims to directly compare two populations (psychosis and eye disease) that are reported to differ in levels of distress associated with VHs. Appraisals, chrono-dynamics of hallucinations, that is, the characteristics of hallucinations such as their content and where and when people experience them, impact on daily life and levels of distress will be gathered through semi-structured interviews and diaries. The findings aim to increase understanding as to factors that account for levels of distress associated with VHs. It is hoped this will have important clinical implications and may guide future treatment interventions.
REC name
London - Hampstead Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/LO/0643
Date of REC Opinion
8 Apr 2015
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion