Abstract
Objective: This study aims to understand the impact of negative life experience (NLE) in auditory hallucinations (AHs) and explain the heterogeneity in phenomenology of auditory verbal hallucinations (AVHs).Method: In depth interviews were conducted with 21 individuals (7 males and 14 females) experiencing AHs and accessing mental health treatment services at a not-for-profit organization. Maximum variation purposive sampling technique was used to select the sample to ensure variegation is accounted for and was collected until saturation of themes data was obtained.Results: Various different forms and functions of hallucinations are obtained with an evident pattern that links voices back to the NLE of the individual. Implications for therapeutic methods focusing on distress arising from said NLE is emphasized.Conclusions: The results obtained from this study implicate NLEs as a contributing factor in the development and maintenance of hallucinations. Sociocultural factors act as a catalyst with psychological factors creating distress and contributing to the voice-hearing experience. Treatment strategies must thus focus on content of voices and past experiences of the individual to promote recovery. A model toward conceptualization of the diversity in phenomenology is put forth.
Highlights
Voice hearing or auditory verbal hallucinations (AVHs) are a core symptom of psychosis in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5th ed. [DSM 5; [1]]
We recruited a mixed sample of individuals who are homeless (IH) and those living with families (LwF)
The homeless men and women had been living in a non-governmental organization (NGO) which caters to the treatment and rehabilitation of individuals with severe mental illnesses
Summary
Voice hearing or auditory verbal hallucinations (AVHs) are a core symptom of psychosis in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5th ed. [DSM 5; [1]]. An externalizing bias has been established as cognitive underpinnings for hallucinations [7]. Another theory suggests that an abundance in vivid imagery poses excessive influences on perception, making it difficult to judge internal and external images accurately [8, 9]. Consistent with these theories, Waters et al [10] have observed homogenous results across studies irrespective of methodology, suggesting that self-recognition deficits were pertinent to AVHs in schizophrenia
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