How do hearing voices peer-support groups work? A three-phase model of transformation

Gail A. Hornstein, Emily Robinson Putnam and Alison Branitsky

Psychosis, 2020, vol. 12, issue 3, 201-211

Abstract: Despite decades of research and the development of many psychiatric medications, widespread suffering remains among people who hear voices. Hearing voices groups (HVGs) encourage an in-depth exploration of the meaning of voices and use peer support to develop coping strategies. Although HVGs continue to spread around the world, their effectiveness remains unknown and only a few studies have examined members’ experiences. To understand the mechanisms by which these groups operate, we recruited a diverse sample of 113 participants from across the US, who completed detailed qualitative questionnaires describing their voice-hearing histories, experiences in HVGs and changes in their lives outside the group. Asubset also participated in follow-up interviews. A collaborative team of researchers and voice hearers used phenomenological, grounded theory and thematic analyses to identify a distinctive set of elements that make HVGs unique: in their style of interaction (non-judgmental, curious, reciprocal and unstructured dialogue among people regarded as equals, in a shared community); and in the content of meetings (welcoming multiple perspectives and exploring coping strategies in non-prescriptive ways, with a focus on expertise by experience). We propose a three-phase model to explain how these elements interact within HVGs to enable significant transformation to occur.

Date: 2020
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DOI: 10.1080/17522439.2020.1749876

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