Prevalence of auditory pseudohallucinations in adult survivors of physical and sexual trauma with chronic post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Abstract

Auditory Verbal Hallucinations (AVHs) are commonly associated with psychosis but are also reported in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Hearing voices after the experience of stress has been conceptualised as a dissociative experience. Brewin and Patel's (2010) seminal study reported that hearing voices is relatively common in PTSD, as hearing voices was associated with PTSD in half and two thirds of military veterans and survivors of civilian trauma, respectively. The authors conceptualised these voices as "auditory pseudohallucinations." To build upon this work, we administered Brewin and Patel's' interview to adult survivors (n = 40) of physical and sexual trauma with chronic PTSD, and healthy controls (n = 39). In contrast to previous findings, only 5% (n = 2) of our PTSD sample reported recently hearing a voice that was consistent with an auditory pseudohallucination, with no reports in our control group. Thus, no support was provided for auditory pseudohallucinations as a significant symptom in this population.

Keywords: Auditory verbal hallucinations; Dissociation; Hearing voices; PTSD; Pseudohallucinations.

Fig. 1

a) Relationship between the Number of Experienced Traumatic Events and the Complex Trauma Symptoms Questionnaire (CTSQ) Total Score for the PTSD Group (n=40). b) Relationship between the Number of Experienced Traumatic Events and the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES-II) Total Score for the PTSD Group (n=40). c). Relationship between the Number of Experienced Traumatic Events and the Dissociative Experiences Scale Taxon (DES-T) for the PTSD Group (n=40).