The revised beliefs about voices questionnaire (BAVQ-R)

Abstract

Background: We present a revised Beliefs About Voices Questionnaire (BAVQ-R), a self-report measure of patients' beliefs, emotions and behaviour about auditory hallucinations. Aims: To improve measurement of omnipotence, a pivotal concept in understanding auditory hallucinations, and elucidate links between beliefs about voices, anxiety and depression. Methods: Seventy-one participants with chronic auditory hallucinations completed the BAVQ-R, and 58 also completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Results: The mean Cronbach's α for the five sub-scales was 0.86 (range 0.74-0.88). The study supports hypotheses about links between beliefs, emotions and behaviour, and presents original data on how these relate to the new omnipotence sub-scale. Original data are also presented on connections with anxiety and depression. Conclusions: The BAVQ-R is more reliable and sensitive to individual differences than the original version, and reliably measures omnipotence. Declaration of interest: This study was supported by a University of Southampton grant to the first author.