Impact of the group intervention Accept Voices^© for the management of auditory hallucinations

Impact of the group intervention Accept Voices^© for the management of auditory hallucinations

Auteurs : T. Lan­glois, R. San­chez-Rodri­guez, A. Bour­cier, P. Lamy, S. Cal­la­han, T. Lecomte

Réfé­rence : Psy­chia­try Research (vol. 291, sept. 2020, art. 113159)

Abstract

Aim of the study
The objec­tive of this stu­dy was to eva­luate the poten­tial impact of a third wave CBT group inter­ven­tion for the mana­ge­ment of audi­to­ry hal­lu­ci­na­tions in patients with schizophrenia.

Method
38 patients with schi­zo­phre­nia pre­sen­ting with audi­to­ry hal­lu­ci­na­tions, fol­lo­wed in men­tal health ser­vices, par­ti­ci­pa­ted in six ses­sions of a group based on accep­tance and enga­ge­ment the­ra­py (ACT). The stu­dy fol­lo­wed a repea­ted single case expe­ri­men­tal desi­gn (type A‑B-A) based on the prin­ciple of a control phase fol­lo­wed by an inter­ven­tion phase and a fol­low-up phase of simi­lar dura­tion. The various mea­su­re­ments were admi­nis­te­red during the control phase, at pre-/post-group and six weeks after the last group session.

Results
The results show a signi­fi­cant decrease in audi­to­ry hal­lu­ci­na­tions, as mea­su­red by the PSYRATS scale, during the treat­ment and fol­low-up phase, com­pa­red to the control phase. In addi­tion, the par­ti­ci­pants saw signi­fi­cant reduc­tions in depres­sive and anxious symp­to­ma­to­lo­gy (asses­sed with CDSS and SEAS), and increases in coping and accep­tance in regards to voices (asses­sed using a stu­dy scale and VAAS). The level of Male­vo­lence beliefs about voices (mea­su­red with BAVQ‑R) also decrea­sed significantly.

Conclu­sions
A brief group inter­ven­tion based accep­tance show pro­mise in the reduc­tion of the inten­si­ty of audi­to­ry hal­lu­ci­na­tions, depres­sion and anxie­ty in patients with schi­zo­phre­nia, while impro­ving their acceptance.