The benefits of hearing voices groups: more findings from a US national study

Background: Hearing voices peer-support groups (HVGs) are spreading widely as an alternative or supplement to standard psychiatric treatments for the distress that can accompany unshared perceptions or extreme states. Yet although people in dozens of countries clearly find HVGs useful, their precise mechanisms of action and distinctive benefits are not fully understood. Analyzing the effectiveness of these groups is increasingly important as mental health resources stretch to the breaking point in many parts of the world. Methods: Using an inductive phenomenological method, our collaborative team of voice-hearers and researchers analyzed the experiences of 119 HVG members in the US, who provided detailed voice hearing histories and accounts of group participation. Results: Results indicated that HVGs offer four distinct types of benefits, affording members an opportunity to: (1) examine the voice hearing experience in itself; (2) discern the meanings of voices and explore them within a biographical context; (3) receive validation for cultural or spiritual ways of understanding voices; and (4) develop a sense of shared experience and camaraderie with other voice-hearers. Discussion: These participant-defined benefits are quite different from standard outcome measures, suggesting new avenues for research to understand the diverse appeal of HVGs.