Investigating the Lived Experience of Recovery in People Who Hear Voices.

Adèle De Jager,Debra Lampshire,Neil Thomas,Vanessa Beavan,Mark Hayward,Douglas Holmes,Kathryn Mccabe,Paul Rhodes,Simon Mccarthy-Jones

doi:10.1177/1049732315581602

Abstract

Although there is evidence of both clinical and personal recovery from distressing voices, the process of recovery over time is unclear. Narrative inquiry was used to investigate 11 voice-hearers' lived experience of recovery. After a period of despair/exhaustion, two recovery typologies emerged: (a) turning toward/empowerment, which involved developing a normalized account of voices, building voice-specific skills, integration of voices into daily life, and a transformation of identity, and (b) turning away/protective hibernation, which involved harnessing all available resources to survive the experience, with the importance of medication in recovery being emphasized. Results indicated the importance of services being sensitive and responsive to a person's recovery style at any given time and their readiness for change. Coming to hold a normalized account of voice-hearing and the self and witnessing of preferred narratives by others were essential in the more robust turning toward recovery typology.

Highlights

Voice-hearing, referred to in the clinical literature as having auditory hallucinations, is commonly experienced in the context of schizophrenia and other psychological disorders, as well as in the general population (Beavan, Read, & Cartwright, 2011; Choong, Hunter, & Woodruff, 2007; Waters, 2010)
The definition of recovery varies between dominant medical model discourse versus consumer/survivor discourse, with the former focusing on symptom resolution and a return to a former state of functioning, whereas the latter emphasizes living a “fulfilling and satisfying life, in the presence or absence of symptoms”
Many firstperson accounts of recovery exist and are valuable in and of themselves (e.g., Romme & Escher, 1993), they were not generated using a qualitative method that allows for analysis of narrative genres or typologies of recovery over time

Summary

Introduction

Voice-hearing, referred to in the clinical literature as having auditory hallucinations, is commonly experienced in the context of schizophrenia and other psychological disorders, as well as in the general population (Beavan, Read, & Cartwright, 2011; Choong, Hunter, & Woodruff, 2007; Waters, 2010). Its definition varies from person to person (Brown, 2008) It is possible, to identify common threads in recovery processes and identify factors that support well-being (Brown, 2008). Many firstperson accounts of recovery exist and are valuable in and of themselves (e.g., Romme & Escher, 1993), they were not generated using a qualitative method that allows for analysis of narrative genres or typologies of recovery over time. It is unclear whether recovery processes align with the HVN approach. This article addresses this gap in the literature, using Narrative Inquiry to examine recovery and including quantitative and diagnostic measures

Methods

Results

Conclusion