Introduction: The aim of this study was to explore the experience of people who hear voices and how the support offered to them affects coping, resilience and recovery.
Individual factors such as coping, resilience, belief systems and current service provisions are discussed within the developing context of the mental health system and
wider society.
Method: Seven people who hear voices were recruited from a local hearing voices group and interviewed using a semi-structured interview. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was used to analyse the transcripts.
Results: Six key themes emerged from the participants’ accounts. These included: Psychiatry: social control; Psychiatry: a clinical model; Trauma, trauma and re-trauma;
Voice awareness; Dancing with voices; and Relationships: lack of understanding.
Discussion: The participants highlighted the support provided by the Hearing Voices Group and help provided by family and friends. This was considered in contrast with
psychiatry which was viewed unfavourably. The primary difference in the experience of support, perceived as either helpful or unhelpful, was linked to the emphasis on specific factors that the interviewees considered to influence their process of recovery. These included being in a safe and non-judgemental environment, being offered hope and validation of their experiences, as well as having a means to socially connect and empower their position so that they can be more active in their own recovery. The
research suggests that more training in the conceptual frameworks and models of recovery, a greater focus on working with the family and wider support, enhanced
collaborative working, and more tailored outcome measures would help services to better meet these individuals’ needs during the recovery process.
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