Are Hearing Voices Groups Effective? a Preliminary Evaluation

It is generally accepted that approximately 10% general population hear voices (Tien, 1991). It is possible that lifetime prevalence may be much higher (Barrett and Etheridge, 1992). Many people who hear voices do not have mental health problems. They hold a variety of beliefs about the nature and origins of their experiences and deal with them in many ways. For some people, voices can be an asset or not pose any significant problem. For others a variety of approaches can be helpful. Romme and Escher (1993) found that people who cope better with voices feel stronger, set more limits on voices, listen more selectively, communicate more about the voices and experience more support from others. They recommend encouraging people to meet others who also hear voices. Hearing voices groups have been organised by voluntary organisations for many years.