Visual Hallucinations in Older People: Appraisals but not Content or Phenomenology Influence Distress.
Stephanie Lai, Vicki Bruce, Daniel Collerton
Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy November 2016 DOI: 10.1017/s1352465815000727 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional comparison study using semi-structured interviews Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 35 |
| Population | Older, non-psychotic adults with complex visual hallucinations |
| Topics | Philosophy of mind |
| Keywords | Appraisal Charles bonnet Distress Older people Psychosis Visual hallucination |
| Key findings | High-distress participants rated their complex visual hallucinations as more malevolent and omnipotent and as having greater negative implications for physical and mental health than low-distress participants. The groups did not differ significantly on independently rated hallucination content, frequency, awareness, or control, suggesting that appraisals rather than content are linked to distress. |
Abstract
A previous study (Gauntlett-Gilbert and Kuipers, 2005) has suggested that distress associated with complex visual hallucinations (CVHs) in younger adults with psychosis may more strongly relate to appraisals of meaning than to the content of the hallucination. However, visual hallucinations are most commonly seen in the disorders of later life, where this relationship has not been investigated. To establish if there is a relationship between appraisals of CVHs and distress in older, non-psychotic people with CVHs. All variables were measured using a semi-structured interview and were compared between a high distress group (n = 16) and a low distress group (n = 19). The high distress group rated their hallucinations as more malevolent and omnipotent, with greater negative implications for physical and mental health. There was no significant difference between groups on ratings of hallucination content (independently rated), frequency, awareness or control. Appraisals of CVHs are linked to distress.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on philosophy of mind, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qualitative thematic analysis of the phenomenology of near-death experiences Cardiac arrest survivors | 2018 | Qualitative study | n = 34 |
| Phenomenology and Sequelae of 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine Use Psychiatrists who had taken MDMA | 1992 | Qualitative study | n = 20 |
| A phenomenology of meditation-induced light experiences: traditional buddhist and neurobiological perspectives American Buddhist practitioners | 2014 | Qualitative study | |
| Evoking the ineffable: The phenomenology of extreme sports. Extreme sports participants across three continents, including BASE jumping, big wave... | 2017 | Qualitative study | n = 15 |
| Phenomenology and content of the inhaled N, N-dimethyltryptamine (N, N-DMT) experience. Naturalistic inhaled N,N-DMT experiences posted to the r/DMT Reddit community | 2022 | Qualitative analysis | n = 3,778 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 3
- Differentiating Oneiric Stupor in Agrypnia Excitata From Dreaming Disorders. Frontiers in Neurology November 12, 2020
- Hallucinations in Healthy Older Adults: An Overview of the Literature and Perspectives for Future Research. Frontiers in Psychology July 7, 2017
- What Is the Link Between Hallucinations, Dreams, and Hypnagogic-Hypnopompic Experiences? Schizophrenia Bulletin June 29, 2016