The revised Beliefs About Voices Questionnaire (BAVQ-R)

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Auditory hallucinations are a core symptom of psychosis.
• Understanding patients' beliefs about voices is crucial for treatment.
• The Beliefs About Voices Questionnaire (BAVQ) is a self-report measure assessing these beliefs, emotions, and behaviors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a revised Beliefs About Voices Questionnaire (BAVQ-R).
• To enhance the measurement of omnipotence, a key belief in auditory hallucinations.
• To explore the relationships between beliefs about voices, anxiety, and depression.

Main Methods:

• Seventy-one participants with chronic auditory hallucinations completed the BAVQ-R.
• Fifty-eight participants also completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale.
• Psychometric properties, including reliability (Cronbach's alpha), were assessed.

Main Results:

• The BAVQ-R demonstrated good reliability across its five sub-scales (mean Cronbach's alpha = 0.86).
• The study confirmed hypotheses linking beliefs about voices with emotions and behaviors.
• Original data revealed connections between the omnipotence sub-scale and anxiety/depression levels.

Conclusions:

• The BAVQ-R is a reliable and sensitive measure for assessing beliefs about auditory hallucinations.
• The revised questionnaire effectively measures omnipotence.
• Findings support the BAVQ-R's utility in understanding the interplay of beliefs, emotions, and behaviors in auditory hallucinations.