'Voice hearing' in adults with a learning disability 24.01.23
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The experience of ‘voice hearing’ in adults who use a community mental health service for people with a learning disability. An interpretative phenomenological analysis.
IRAS ID
325134
Contact name
Rachel Instone
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
The University of Sheffield
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 1 months, 31 days
Research summary
The experience of ‘voice hearing’ (hearing voices that no one else can hear) has been widely researched. In Western medicine, voice hearing is often seen as a symptom of a mental health problem, like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, and is often thought of in negative terms. However, research in the last few decades has shown how relatively common the experience is with 1 in 10 people hearing a voice/voices in their lifetime. This research has also provided different ways to understand the experience. A person’s cultural background, religious or family belief systems influence how someone understands their experience and the nature of the experience (either positive or negative). Collaborative research between experts by experience (those who hear voices), clinicians and researchers have produced insights for assessment and interventions enabling people to better understand and ‘live with’ the voices. However, this work has not been widely replicated with individuals who hear voices and who have a learning disability. This study aims to help address the lack of research into the experience of this population by conducting in-depth interviews with 6-10 individuals who report voice hearing and who access a community mental health service for people with a learning disability. An inclusive approach will use visual aids to help the participant communicate their experience. Participants will be invited to bring objects or images and the researcher will provide art materials to help the participant communicate their thoughts. A semi-structured interview will guide the individual through the following topics: what the experience is like, when it began, how they make sense of them and what helps/hinders. Those recorded interviews will be analysed and interpreted to gain a rich understanding of both the individual’s experience and the commonalities across individuals. It is hoped the insights will inform future research, assessment and interventions.
REC name
West of Scotland REC 3
REC reference
23/WS/0065
Date of REC Opinion
3 May 2023
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion