"Distress is probably the wrong word": exploring uncertainty and ambivalence in non-clinical voice-hearing and the psychosis continuum.

Background: Non-clinical voice-hearers (NCVHs) have been the subject of a growing body of psychological research, a primary aim of which is the development of new therapeutic techniques to support those who struggle with voice-hearing. However, relatively little research has examined non-clinical voice-hearing experiences beyond their relationship with clinical voice-hearing.

Methods: The present study consists of a qualitative re-analysis of 17 semi-structured interviews conducted as part of an NCVH neuroimaging study which included items from the Psychotic Symptoms Rating Scale (PSYRATS) and Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS).

Voluntary control of auditory hallucinations: phenomenology to therapeutic implications.

Auditory verbal hallucinations (AVH) have traditionally been thought to be outside the influence of conscious control. However, recent work with voice hearers makes clear that both treatment-seeking and non-treatment-seeking voice hearers may exert varying degrees of control over their voices. Evidence suggests that this ability may be a key factor in determining health status, but little systematic examination of control in AVH has been carried out.