title: Auditory verbal hallucinations in persons with and without a need for care.
abstract: Auditory verbal hallucinations (AVH) are complex experiences that occur in the context of various clinical disorders. AVH also occur in individuals from the general population who have no identifiable psychiatric or neurological diagnoses. This article reviews research on AVH in nonclinical individuals and provides a cross-disciplinary view of the clinical relevance of these experiences in defining the risk of mental illness and need for care. Prevalence rates of AVH vary according to measurement tool and indicate a continuum of experience in the general population. Cross-sectional comparisons of individuals with AVH with and without need for care reveal similarities in phenomenology and some underlying mechanisms but also highlight key differences in emotional valence of AVH, appraisals, and behavioral response. Longitudinal studies suggest that AVH are an antecedent of clinical disorders when combined with negative emotional states, specific cognitive difficulties and poor coping, plus family history of psychosis, and environmental exposures such as childhood adversity. However, their predictive value for specific psychiatric disorders is not entirely clear. The theoretical and clinical implications of the reviewed findings are discussed, together with directions for future research.
authors.affiliation: King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Department of Psychology, London, UK; South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK;
authors.forename: Louise C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Johns
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological and Medical Psychology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway; Kristiina.Kompus@psybp.uib.no.
authors.forename: Kristiina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kompus
authors.affiliation: The University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research, Metro North Mental Health, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Brisbane, Australia;
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Connell
authors.affiliation: King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Department of Psychosis Studies, London, UK;
authors.forename: Clara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Humpston
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany;
authors.forename: Tania M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Lincoln
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK;
authors.forename: Eleanor
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Longden
authors.affiliation: Department of Education, Psychology, Philosophy, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy;
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Preti
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Durham University, Durham, UK;
authors.forename: Ben
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Alderson-Day
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia;
authors.forename: Johanna C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Badcock
authors.affiliation: King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Department of Psychology, London, UK; National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Biomedical Research Centre for Mental Health at South London and Maudsley, NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK;
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cella
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Durham University, Durham, UK;
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fernyhough
authors.affiliation: ARC Centre of Excellence in Cognition and Its Disorders, Department of Cognitive Science, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia;
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: McCarthy-Jones
authors.affiliation: King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Department of Psychology, London, UK; National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Biomedical Research Centre for Mental Health at South London and Maudsley, NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK;
authors.forename: Emmanuelle
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.affiliation: Department of Mental Health and Pathological Addiction, AUSL Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy;
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Raballo
authors.affiliation: The University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research, Metro North Mental Health, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Brisbane, Australia;
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.affiliation: Department of Education, Psychology, Philosophy, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy;
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Siddi
authors.affiliation: Psychiatry Department, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands;
authors.forename: Iris E
authors.initials: IE
authors.lastname: Sommer
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Larøi
mesh_terms: D006212:Hallucinations / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D008605:Mental Health Services; D015995:Prevalence; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D018570:Risk Assessment
keywords: need for care; nonclinical; prevalence; psychosis