The effects of participation in hearing voices groups on components of mental health recovery: an exploratory comparative study

Abstract

Background: Hearing Voices Groups (HVGs) are a peer support system for people with acoustic-verbal hallucinations. Few empirical studies have assessed their effectiveness. The main objective of this study is to evaluate a wide range of effects of HVGs and to compare them to those of regular therapeutic groups. Method: This comparative study is based on the responses of 20 French-speaking voice- hearers to an original self-administered questionnaire on the effects of their participation in a HVG in addition to a recovery assessment, the STORI. Our control group is composed of participants in Metacognitive Training programs (MCT, n = 14). Results: Results show a good homogeneity between the two populations in terms of sociodemographics, diagnosis, care pathways, and stages of recovery. The averages of the total satisfaction scores are very similar (162.15/230 for the HVG and 165.28 for the MCT groups) and indicate a very positive appraisal. Some differences can be observed in the type of benefits derived. Discussion: HVGs can be considered as settings that favour recovery and could have a complementary role, especially for users who would otherwise tend to leave or avoid the conventional field of psychiatric treatment.