Exploring voice hearers’ relationships with their voices: Can voices serve an adaptive function?

Nevard, Teresa (2015) Exploring voice hearers’ relationships with their voices: Can voices serve an adaptive function? Doctoral thesis, University of East Anglia.

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Abstract

Background
Voice hearers’ relationships with their voices can mirror their wider social relating (e.g. Paulik, 2012). Research has found a relationship between social isolation and beliefs about voices being benevolent (e.g. Favrod et al., 2004). Attachment style impacts on aspects on the voice hearing experience (e.g. Berry et al., 2012) but no previous study has used a measure of attachment to investigate voice hearers’ relationship with their voices.
Aims
To investigate whether voice hearers develop attachment bonds with their voices, and whether this relates to general attachment style, social isolation and dependence on the voice.
Method
83 voice hearers were recruited online. Measures were: The Experiences in Close Relationships Revised (ECR-R), Dependence Scale of Voice and You (VAY), Reciprocal Attachment Questionnaire (RAQ), the Frequency and Distress items from the Hamilton Programme for Schizophrenia Voices Questionnaire (HPSVQ), UCLA Loneliness Scale, and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Narrative information was also collected.
Analysis
A cross-sectional correlational design was used with additional content analysis of the narrative data.
Doctoral Thesis: Exploring voice hearers’ relationships Teresa Nevard
with their voices: Can voices serve an adaptive function?
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Results
Initial evidence was found of attachment bonds to voices in a proportion of voice hearers. Voice hearers with high attachment anxiety reported greater fear of losing their voice.
Correlations between attachment to voice and loneliness lost significance after post hoc adjustment and controlling for low mood. As this is the first study using a measure of attachment for relationships with voices it is important to interpret the results with caution.
Conclusion
The research highlights the importance of considering individuals relationships with their voices. It is hoped that the results of this research will lead to further investigation of attachment bonds with voices and the elucidation of how general attachment style and social isolation impacts on this. Further investigation of this could lead to clinical benefits for voice hearers who are distressed by their voices.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Norwich Medical School
Depositing User:	Users 2259 not found.
Date Deposited:	29 Jan 2016 09:01
Last Modified:	29 Jan 2016 09:01
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/56863
DOI:

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