Making Sense of Voices: Case Series
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Making Sense of Voices: Case Series
IRAS ID
168862
Contact name
Mike Proven
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Berkshire Healthcare Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
The experience of hearing voices has been reported to occur within around 3% of the population at some point in their lives. Whilst many individuals may have neutral or positive experiences of hearing voices, a significant percentage find the experience distressing. Within the psychiatric system, voice-hearing experiences are often associated with a diagnosis of schizophrenia. However, voice hearing is also associated with presentations of bipolar disorder, personality disorders, posttraumatic stress disorder and dissociative identity disorder.
To date, research aimed at evaluating clinical interventions for distressing voices have been predominantly focused on individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia. Recent meta-analyses suggest the outcome to be of a small to moderate effect size (approximately 0.4). There is therefore, considerable room for improvement within NHS service provision in this area. The high cost associated with the inpatient care often adopted for voice hearers in a time of crisis, would suggest that this potential improvement is an NHS priority.
The Hearing Voices Movement (HVM) was formed in 1987 and adopts an approach which places a strong emphasis on making sense of the content of voice hearing experiences, within the context of stressful life events suffered by the voice hearer. This approach is based on considerable research linking the onset of voice hearing with stressful and traumatic life events, and some studies linking the content of voices with the emotional theme of these life events. For example, an individual suffering abuse during which they felt humiliated may subsequently experiences hearing voices which also make them feel humiliated.
The HVM approach , termed ‘Making Sense of Voices’ consists of three phases of work. First an engagement phase and a discussion of basic coping strategies that may help with distressing voices. Second, an assessment phase employing the Maastricht Interview. Third, the development of a new understanding of voices in relation to life events, upon which work is conducted aimed at making the voice hearer less submissive and threatened by the voice hearing experience. This approach is highly regarded within the service user movement, and offers a new approach to helping individuals come to terms with voice hearing experiences.
The current study aims to evaluate outcomes of the Making Sense of Voices approach within a case series (N=15) using a randomised period of baseline, a 9-month period of intervention and 3-month follow-up. The information obtained will provide the basis for a future randomised controlled trial.REC name
South Central - Berkshire B Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/SC/0013
Date of REC Opinion
16 Feb 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion