Preliminary Evidence for Heterogeneity of Beliefs About Auditory Verbal Hallucinations Intent

Perceptions of patient's auditory verbal hallucinations (AVHs), commonly termed voices, have important impacts on their everyday lives. Despite research emphasizing the consequences of malevolent voices, preliminary results suggest that beliefs about voices may not be mutually exclusive. As such, we aimed to characterize the heterogeneity of beliefs about AVHs and describe their clinical correlates. We recruited 78 patients referred to a Voices group therapy for refractory and distressing voices. Based on the Revised Beliefs About Voices Questionnaire, clustering analysis yielded four subgroups of patients with distinct pattern of beliefs about AVHs. These subgroups differed significantly in terms of affective disturbances, engagement, and resistance to their voices. Furthermore, no significant changes in beliefs about voices were observed after 6 weeks. Results of the current study suggest that the heterogeneity regarding the beliefs about AVHs should be targeted in treatment to reduce their associated negative outcomes.