The effect of trauma-focused therapy on voice-hearing: An experience sampling study
Study investigated the effect of trauma-focused therapy (prolonged exposure and EMDR therapy) on voice-hearing in people with PTSD and psychosis.
Article Abstract
“Trauma and post-traumatic stress are involved in the aetiology and maintenance of voice-hearing. It has been proposed that trauma-focused therapy (TFT) might affect voice-hearing, but previous studies are limited and remain undecided.
Objectives: We aimed to investigate the effect of TFT on voice-hearing in people with PTSD and psychosis using experience sampling method (ESM). A secondary aim was to explore how changes in voice-hearing are related to changes in PTSD.
Design: This is an adjunct longitudinal ESM study of a sub-group of participants (N = 39) from a randomised controlled trial that compared TFT to a waiting-list control group.
Methods: Voice-hearing participants filled in 10 daily voice-hearing-related questionnaires for six consecutive days at baseline and post-treatment at pseudo-random times during the day. PTSD symptom severity was assessed at baseline and post-treatment. Multilevel linear regression was used to test the effect of TFT on voice-hearing and to analyse the relationship between changes in voice-hearing and changes in PTSD.
Results: The intention-to-treat analysis showed a significant interaction effect between time and treatment condition (p < .00001) with a small effect size (dppc2 = −0.27), indicating a larger decrease in voice-hearing in the TFT group than in the waiting-list control group. Also, a significant association was observed between changes in PTSD symptoms and changes in voice-hearing (p < .00001).
Conclusions: Our findings tentatively suggest that, even when voices are not targeted directly, TFT for PTSD can alleviate distressing voices.”
—Description from publisher
Article Access
Open Access
Burger, S. R., Hardy, A., Verdaasdonk, I., van der Vleugel, B., Delespaul, P., van Zelst, C., de Bont, P. A. J., Staring, A. B. P., de Roos, C., de Jongh, A., Marcelis, M., van Minnen, A., van der Gaag, M., & van den Berg, D. (2025). The effect of trauma-focused therapy on voice-hearing: An experience sampling study. Psychology and Psychotherapy Theory, Research, and Practice, 98(1), 25-39. Open access: https://doi.org/10.1111/papt.12556
Date
March 1, 2025
Creator(s)
Simone R. Burger, Amy Hardy, Inez Verdaasdonk
Contributor(s)
Berber van der Vleugel, Philippe Delespaul, Catherine van Zelst, Paul A. J. de Bont, Anton B. P. Staring, Carlijn de Roos, Ad de Jongh, Machteld Marcelis, Agnes van Minnen, Mark van der Gaag, David van den Berg
Topics
Psychosis/Schizophrenia, PTSD
Extent
15 pages
Publisher
John Wiley & Sons Ltd
Rights
© 2024 The Author(s). Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The British Psychological Society.
APA Citation
Burger, S. R., Hardy, A., Verdaasdonk, I., van der Vleugel, B., Delespaul, P., van Zelst, C., de Bont, P. A. J., Staring, A. B. P., de Roos, C., de Jongh, A., Marcelis, M., van Minnen, A., van der Gaag, M., & van den Berg, D. (2025). The effect of trauma-focused therapy on voice-hearing: An experience sampling study. Psychology and Psychotherapy Theory, Research, and Practice, 98(1), 25-39. Open access: https://doi.org/10.1111/papt.12556
Audience
EMDR Therapists
Language
English
Content Type
Article, Peer-Reviewed
Access Type
External Resource, Open Access
