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The diverse functions of hearing voices peer-support groups: findings and case examples from a US national study

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  • Gail A. Hornstein
  • Alison Branitsky
  • Emily Robinson Putnam

Abstract

BackgroundHearing voices peer-support groups (HVGs) enable people coping with voices, visions, or other unshared perceptual experiences to explore the particularities and potential meanings of their experiences while receiving support from others facing similar challenges. HVGs have now spread to 30 countries on five continents, and many members report profound life changes as a result of participating. Yet systematic research exploring how and why these groups work is still in its early stages.MethodsTo understand the diverse functions that HVGs can serve, we analyzed the experiences of 111 group members across the US, who provided detailed accounts of their voice-hearing histories and group participation in a questionnaire. Our collaborative team of voice hearers and researchers used phenomenological and thematic analyses.ResultsThe key elements that make HVGs distinctive include their prioritizing of self-determination; de-emphasizing behavioral targets or pressure to change; respecting and welcoming multiple frameworks of understanding; cultivating curiosity about perplexing experience in any form; and fostering egalitarian collaboration and genuine relationships among members seen as “experts by experience.”DiscussionWe illustrate the dynamic relations among these elements through case examples, and then outline comparisons between HVGs and other types of groups, as well as directions for future research.

Suggested Citation

  • Gail A. Hornstein & Alison Branitsky & Emily Robinson Putnam, 2022. "The diverse functions of hearing voices peer-support groups: findings and case examples from a US national study," Psychosis, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 14(1), pages 46-56, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:rpsyxx:v:14:y:2022:i:1:p:46-56
    DOI: 10.1080/17522439.2021.1897653
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    Cited by:

    1. Ippolytos Kalofonos & Michael Zito & Erica Fletcher & Ronald Calderon & Mariam Nazinyan & Robert Kern, 2024. "A pilot trial examining the effects of veteran voices and visions, an adaptation of hearing voices groups for a large public health system in the United States," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 70(1), pages 122-131, February.

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