TY - JOUR
T1 - More than just a place to talk
T2 - Young people's experiences of group psychological therapy as an early intervention for auditory hallucinations
AU - Newton, Elizabeth
AU - Larkin, Michael
AU - Melhuish, Ruth
AU - Wykes, Til
N1 - MEDLINE® is the source for the MeSH terms of this document.
PY - 2007/3
Y1 - 2007/3
N2 - OBJECTIVES: Auditory hallucinations are extremely distressing, particularly when occurring during adolescence. They may be most responsive to psychological intervention during a three-year critical period following symptom-onset, but as yet no studies have investigated voices groups for young participants with adolescent-onset psychosis. The aim of the current study is to explore the experience of group-CBT amongst a group of young people experiencing distressing auditory hallucinations.DESIGN: This project was planned and conducted in the tradition of idiographic, qualitative psychology. A small purposive sample was selected, and in-depth, open-ended interviews were conducted, in order to generate and explore rich, experiential accounts which are clearly situated and contextualized.METHODS: Eight participants who had completed a cognitive behavioural group intervention were interviewed using a semi-structured interview schedule. The transcribed data were analysed according to the principles of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA; Smith, Osborn, & Jarman, 1999).RESULTS: Two superordinate themes emerged. The first describes experiential features of the respondents' accounts of group therapy. The second theme posits a cyclical relationship between four key factors: the content of the hallucinated voices, the participants' explanations for, and reactions to these voices, and thus, their ability to cope with them.CONCLUSIONS: 'Voices groups' are appreciated by young people with auditory hallucinations, as sources of therapy, information, and support. These results suggest a number of testable hypotheses about the efficacy of group treatment and its future development.
AB - OBJECTIVES: Auditory hallucinations are extremely distressing, particularly when occurring during adolescence. They may be most responsive to psychological intervention during a three-year critical period following symptom-onset, but as yet no studies have investigated voices groups for young participants with adolescent-onset psychosis. The aim of the current study is to explore the experience of group-CBT amongst a group of young people experiencing distressing auditory hallucinations.DESIGN: This project was planned and conducted in the tradition of idiographic, qualitative psychology. A small purposive sample was selected, and in-depth, open-ended interviews were conducted, in order to generate and explore rich, experiential accounts which are clearly situated and contextualized.METHODS: Eight participants who had completed a cognitive behavioural group intervention were interviewed using a semi-structured interview schedule. The transcribed data were analysed according to the principles of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA; Smith, Osborn, & Jarman, 1999).RESULTS: Two superordinate themes emerged. The first describes experiential features of the respondents' accounts of group therapy. The second theme posits a cyclical relationship between four key factors: the content of the hallucinated voices, the participants' explanations for, and reactions to these voices, and thus, their ability to cope with them.CONCLUSIONS: 'Voices groups' are appreciated by young people with auditory hallucinations, as sources of therapy, information, and support. These results suggest a number of testable hypotheses about the efficacy of group treatment and its future development.
KW - Adaptation, Psychological
KW - Adolescent
KW - Cognitive Therapy
KW - Communication
KW - Female
KW - Hallucinations
KW - Humans
KW - Interview, Psychological
KW - Male
KW - Patient Satisfaction
KW - Peer Group
KW - Psychology, Adolescent
KW - Psychotherapy, Group
KW - Social Support
KW - Treatment Outcome
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?partnerID=yv4JPVwI&eid=2-s2.0-33947697785&md5=a39c055c2efe14f6ed089f499fbd4456
U2 - 10.1348/147608306X110148
DO - 10.1348/147608306X110148
M3 - Article
C2 - 17346385
AN - SCOPUS:33947697785
SN - 1476-0835
VL - 80
SP - 127
EP - 149
JO - Psychology and Psychotherapy
JF - Psychology and Psychotherapy
IS - 1
ER -