"Distress is probably the wrong word": exploring uncertainty and ambivalence in non-clinical voice-hearing and the psychosis continuum.
Ariel Swyer, Angela Woods, Amanda Ellison, Ben Alderson-Day
Psychosis September 25, 2024 DOI: 10.1080/17522439.2024.2407138 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 17 |
| Population | Non-clinical voice-hearers |
| Measures | Psychotic Symptoms Rating Scale (PSYRATS), Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) |
| Keywords | Hallucinations Psychosis Distress Spirituality Voice-hearing |
| Key findings | Participants often experienced negative voice content and negative emotion but used frameworks that normalize voice-hearing, and reported experiences not captured by standard clinical scales, including comfort with uncertainty and ambiguity. The authors argue that clinical measures and concepts miss much of non-clinical voice-hearing experience, suggesting a need to go beyond typical understandings of the psychosis continuum. |
Abstract
Background: Non-clinical voice-hearers (NCVHs) have been the subject of a growing body of psychological research, a primary aim of which is the development of new therapeutic techniques to support those who struggle with voice-hearing. However, relatively little research has examined non-clinical voice-hearing experiences beyond their relationship with clinical voice-hearing.
Methods: The present study consists of a qualitative re-analysis of 17 semi-structured interviews conducted as part of an NCVH neuroimaging study which included items from the Psychotic Symptoms Rating Scale (PSYRATS) and Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Results were generated using thematic analysis.
Results: Analysis of interview responses showed that participants often experience negative voice content and negative emotion, but have frameworks which normalize a range of voice-hearing experiences. Participants also reported experiences which are not captured by standard clinical scales, as well as reporting comfort with uncertainty and ambiguity surrounding voices.
Discussion: These results indicate that much of the experience of NCVHs may be missed by clinical measures and concepts, suggesting a need to approach them in ways that go beyond typical understandings of the psychosis continuum.
Citations in the library
Cites 6
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- Varieties of Voice-Hearing: Psychics and the Psychosis Continuum. Schizophrenia Bulletin January 2017
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- Auditory verbal hallucinations in persons with and without a need for care. Schizophrenia Bulletin July 2014
- The same or different? A phenomenological comparison of auditory verbal hallucinations in healthy and psychotic individuals. The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry March 2011
and 1 more in the library