Hearing Voices From an Ethnic Minority Perspective
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Hearing Voices within a Western Society: From an Ethnic Minority Perspective
IRAS ID
299586
Contact name
Noor Khatijah Zafirah Binti Abdul Sathar
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Salomons Institute for Applied Psychology, Canterbury Christ Church University
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 3 months, 1 days
Research summary
Research Summary
In Western communities such as the UK, voice hearing is mainly viewed as a symptom of psychiatric illness (APA, 2013; NICE, 2014). Medication is often the first-line treatment provided to voice- hearers with the aim to eliminate voices (Leudar & Thomas, 2000). However, this approach frames hearing voices as an illness, and this may consequently foster stigma against voice-hearers within society (Corrigan et al., 2004).A survey by Posey and Losch (1983) found that 71% of their sample of college students reported hearing voices at some point, implying this may be a common experience. The difference between voice-hearers with and without a psychiatric diagnosis may be attributed to the distress experienced as a result of hearing voices (Romme & Escher, 2000), and it may be argued that some of this distress is caused by the societal stigma ascribed to hearing voices (Clements et al., 2020).
Hearing-voices is sometimes attributed to spiritual, religious, or more positive explanations. These explanations are more common amongst some non-Western ethnic groups. In their cross-national study, Luhrmann et al. (2015) found that the majority of voice-hearers in their Californian sample perceived their voices as negative intrusive thoughts, whilst in their South Indian and West African samples, voices were more often perceived as positive and helpful. Research also demonstrate alternative, and sometimes more positive explanations of hearing voices amongst non-white individuals in the UK (e.g. Bhikha et al., 2015; Mirza et al., 2019).
Therefore, this study aims to explore the experience and perceived impact of having a different explanation whilst being immersed within dominant Western perspectives and explanations of hearing voices.
The study will recruit 8-10 adult voice-hearers who identify as belonging to an ethnic minority group in the UK. Individual semi structured interviews will be conducted lasting up to 90 minutes. The data will be analysed using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis.
Summary of Results
No Summary - unable to recruit participants. Zero participants recruited via NHS.REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - Leeds West Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
21/YH/0202
Date of REC Opinion
1 Nov 2021
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion