Interpersonal processes and hearing voices: a study of the association between relating to voices and distress in clinical and non-clinical hearers.
BACKGROUND
Previous research suggests that the distress experienced by clinical voice hearers is associated with the perceived relationship between voice and hearer, independent of beliefs about voices and depression.


OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to replicate these findings and generate further hypotheses by comparing the voice hearing experiences of clinical and non-clinical hearers.


METHODS
A cross-sectional, quantitative design was employed and used between-subjects and correlational methods. Thirty-two clinical voice hearers and 18 non-clinical voice hearers were assessed using the PSYRATS, the Voice and You questionnaire, the Beliefs About Voices Questionnaire - Revised, and the Beck Depression Inventory-II.


RESULTS
For clinical voice hearers, distress was significantly associated with perceptions of the voice as dominating and intrusive, and hearers distancing themselves from the voice. However, these associations were not independent of beliefs about voices' omnipotence or malevolence. Non-clinical voice hearers were significantly less distressed than clinical voice hearers and voices were perceived as less dominant, intrusive, malevolent and omnipotent. Non-clinical hearers were found to relate from a position of less distance to voices perceived as benevolent.


CONCLUSIONS
Findings from previous research were only partially replicated. Clinically, the development of less maladaptive relationships between voice and voice hearer may reduce distress.
Sorrell
Eleanor
E
North Essex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, UK.
Hayward
Mark
M
Meddings
Sara
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001290:Attitude; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003469:Culture; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006212:Hallucinations / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult