title: Interpretation, emotional reactions and daily life implications of hallucination-like experiences in clinical and nonclinical populations.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Research on Hallucination-Like Experiences (HLEs) has not yet explored whether people without psychosis who have HLEs attribute the same level of significance to them. This significance includes whether or not the HLEs elicit similar emotional reactions in people with and without psychosis, or if the HLEs occur in same context between the two groups. The objective of this study was to compare the characteristics of these experiences in a non-clinical group and a clinical group of patients with schizophrenia and schizophrenia spectrum disorders.
  
  
  METHODS
  Both groups were evaluated to determine the prevalence of HLEs. After the evaluation, they were interviewed about the characteristics of these experiences.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both groups sought to actively eliminate the HLEs, could identify the presence of a trigger factor, and experienced little perceived control. However, HLEs elicited more anxiety, discomfort and interference in daily life in the clinical group than in the non-clinical group. Furthermore, the clinical group members defined their hallucinations more negatively and were reported to have experienced them under stressful events.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that the two experiences are not entirely equivalent, especially when taking into account the emotional reaction produced by these experiences and the meaning people attach to them.
authors: Pontifical Catholic University of Chile and University of Tarapacá
authors: Álvaro I
authors: ÁI
authors: Langer
authors: Giovanni
authors: G
authors: Stanghellini
authors: Adolfo J
authors: AJ
authors: Cangas
authors: Paul H
authors: PH
authors: Lysaker
authors: Luz
authors: L
authors: Nieto-Muñoz
authors: Juan A
authors: JA
authors: Moriana
authors: María L
authors: ML
authors: Barrigón
authors: Alessandra
authors: A
authors: Ambrosini
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006212:Hallucinations / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D064368:Healthy Volunteers / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires