Occurrence and phenomenology of hallucinations in the general population: A large online survey
Schizophrenia April 23, 2022 Mascha M.J. Linszen, Janna De Boer, Maya Schutte et al. 55 citations
Hallucinations occur in 6-15% of the general population, but their detailed characteristics are poorly understood. In a large online survey of 10,448 participants aged 14-88, auditory hallucinations were most common in the past month (29.5%), followed by visual (21.5%), tactile (19.9%), and olfactory (17.3%); nearly half (47.6%) experienced hallucinations in two or more senses. Many participants rated their hallucinations as severe due to negative content (16.0-31.6%), distress (10.5-16.8%), or dysfunction (12.7-17.3%). Decreased insight occurred in 10.2-11.4%, hypnagogia in 9.0-10.6%, and bereavement hallucinations in 2.8%. Delusions were rare (7.0%) but significantly associated with recent hallucinations. The findings indicate a wide variety of hallucination phenomenology in the general population and support a phenomenological continuum.