Authors: Newton, Elizabeth¹; Larkin, Michael²; Melhuish, Ruth³; Wykes, Til⁴

Source: Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice, Volume 80, Number 1, March 2007 , pp. 127-149(23)

Abstract:

Objectives. Auditory hallucinations are extremely distressing, particularly when occurring during adolescence. They may be most responsive to psychological intervention during a three-year critical period following symptom-onset, but as yet no studies have investigated voices groups for young participants with adolescent-onset psychosis. The aim of the current study is to explore the experience of group-CBT amongst a group of young people experiencing distressing auditory hallucinations.

Design. This project was planned and conducted in the tradition of idiographic, qualitative psychology. A small purposive sample was selected, and in-depth, open-ended interviews were conducted, in order to generate and explore rich, experiential accounts which are clearly situated and contextualized.

Methods. Eight participants who had completed a cognitive behavioural group intervention were interviewed using a semi-structured interview schedule. The transcribed data were analysed according to the principles of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA; Smith, Osborn, & Jarman, 1999).

Results. Two superordinate themes emerged. The first describes experiential features of the respondents' accounts of group therapy. The second theme posits a cyclical relationship between four key factors: the content of the hallucinated voices, the participants' explanations for, and reactions to these voices, and thus, their ability to cope with them.

Conclusions. `Voices groups' are appreciated by young people with auditory hallucinations, as sources of therapy, information, and support. These results suggest a number of testable hypotheses about the efficacy of group treatment and its future development.

Document Type: Research article

DOI: 10.1348/147608306X110148

Affiliations: 1: University College, London, UK 2: School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, UK 3: Camden and Islington Mental Health and Social Care Trust, London, UK 4: Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK