Group Intervention Reduces Distress Associated with Auditory Hallucinations

By Reuters Staff

NEW YORK - A group mindfulness-based intervention relieves distress and depression in patients who hear distressing voices that others don't hear, researchers from the UK report.

Group mindfulness-based interventions have shown some effectiveness in treating psychosis and distressing voices, they note in a paper online April 14 in Schizophrenia Research.

Dr. Paul Chadwick from King's College London and colleagues investigated the effects of person-based cognitive therapy (PBCT), which integrates cognitive behavior therapy for psychosis and mindfulness, in a randomized trial of 108 individuals who were experiencing distressing voices.

Nearly three-quarters (39/54, 72%) of patients randomized to PBCT attended at least eight of the 12 sessions; study retention overall, including the treatment-as-usual (TAU) control group, was 86% at four months and 76% at 10 months.

Although overall distress, the primary endpoint, improved to a greater extent in the PBCT group than in the TAU group, the data were not sensitive enough to conclude whether this represented a true difference, according to the authors.

There were significant treatment effects, though, on voice-related distress, perceived controllability of voices, and recovery associated with PBCT. Moreover, PBCT significantly reduced depression without having a significant effect on anxiety.

The effects of PBCT on depression were maintained at six-month follow-up, whereas other positive effects were not.

"The findings of post-group effects on depression, voice distress, voice controllability and recovery provide a mandate for future research," the researchers conclude. "Overall when delivered over 12 weeks, group PBCT for distressing voices shows promise as an intervention to reduce the distress and disturbance associated with voice hearing experiences in the context of psychosis."

Dr. Chadwick did not respond to a request for comments.

SOURCE: https://bit.ly/1VplGUT

Schizophrenia Res 2016.

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