Exploring the experience of hearing voices: A qualitative study

Fenekou, Vasiliki; Georgaca, Eugenie

doi:10.1080/17522430903191783

Cited by 22 publications

(46 citation statements)

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“…While this shift is clearly relevant to research on psychopathology, it is also directly relevant to clinical practice. Current clinical practice rarely includes asking people who experience AVHs for a detailed account of their voices or exploring the finer grained contours of these experiences (72,73). Indeed, almost all the participants in our study have confirmed that they had never previously been asked detailed questions about the nature or characteristics of their voices (46).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Listening to Schneiderian Voices: A Novel Phenomenological Analysis

et al. 2016

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Background/Aims: This paper reports on analyses designed to elucidate phenomenologicalcharacteristics, content and experience specifically targeting participants with Schneiderian voices conversing/commenting (VC) while exploring differences in clinical presentation and quality of life compared to those with voices not conversing (VNC). Methods: This mixed-method investigation of Schneiderian voices included standardized clinical metrics and exploratory phenomenological interviews designed to elicit in-depth information about the characteristics, content, meaning, and personification of auditory verbal hallucinations. Results: The subjective experience shows a striking pattern of VC, as they are experienced as internal at initial onset and during the longer-term course of illness when compared to VNC. Participants in the VC group were more likely to attribute the origin of their voices to an external source such as God, telepathic communication, or mediumistic sources. VC and VNC were described as characterological entities that were distinct from self (I/we vs. you). We also found an association between VC and the positive, cognitive, and depression symptom profile. However, we did not find a significant group difference in overall quality of life. Conclusions: The clinical portrait of VC is complex, multisensory, and distinct, and suggests a need for further research into the biopsychosocial interface between subjective experience, socioenvironmental constraints, individual psychology, and the biological architecture of intersecting symptoms.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Listening to Schneiderian Voices: A Novel Phenomenological Analysis

et al. 2016

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“…In qualitative studies of voice hearers in psychiatric treatment, researchers have suggested that the characteristics and functions of the voices were related to ongoing activities (Fenekou & Georgaca, 2010) and that the voice content was of personal significance (Beavan, 2010). In a study of the experiences of voices in five people, Kalhovde (2005) revealed narratives of lonesome struggles despite extensive support from mental health care services.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding the Experiences of Hearing Voices and Sounds Others Do Not Hear

2013

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In this article, we aim to contribute to the understanding of how people with mental illness experience hearing voices and sounds that others do not hear in daily life. We conducted in-depth interviews with 14 people and analyzed the interviews using a hermeneutic phenomenological approach. The themes we arrived at included the following: hearing someone else or myself, am I losing my mind?, and daily life recurrently dominated by opposing voices. Our overall understanding of how the voices and sounds were experienced in daily life was that the intentions of others resounded intrusively in the participants and disrupted their lives. The tones and contents of these perplexing perceptions echoed and amplified past, present and future experiences and concerns. The results elucidate the value that exploring and attempting to understand people's daily life experiences of hearing voices and sounds might have for the voice hearer, their family and health care providers.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Some studies failed to state their epistemological position (Fenekou & Georgaca, ; Jackson, Hayward, & Cooke, ; Jones, Guy, & Ormrod, ), which assists identification of relevant concepts and constructs as well as how data is interpreted (Paterson & Canam, ). One lacked extensive participant quotes to illustrate derived interpretations (Fenekou & Georgaca, ) and two incorporated no participant quotes (Beavan, ; Jones et al ., ). Furthermore, not all demonstrated a process of reflexivity (Fenekou & Georgaca, ; Jones et al ., ; Karlsson, ) despite the assumption from the interpretivist paradigm that any research entails part of the researcher (Noblit & Hare, ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…One lacked extensive participant quotes to illustrate derived interpretations (Fenekou & Georgaca, ) and two incorporated no participant quotes (Beavan, ; Jones et al ., ). Furthermore, not all demonstrated a process of reflexivity (Fenekou & Georgaca, ; Jones et al ., ; Karlsson, ) despite the assumption from the interpretivist paradigm that any research entails part of the researcher (Noblit & Hare, ). It is evident that the quality of research investigating the first person perspective of hearing voices warrants improvement.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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