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Cited by 50Mental Health Treatment and AccessSchizophrenia research and treatmentHallucinations in medical conditions

Stigma and need for care in individuals who hear voices

Vilhauer, Ruvanee P·2017·International Journal of Social Psychiatry
DOI 10.1177/0020764016675888
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Abstract

Background: Voice hearing experiences, or auditory verbal hallucinations, occur in healthy individuals as well as in individuals who need clinical care, but news media depict voice hearing primarily as a symptom of mental illness, particularly schizophrenia. Aims: This article explores whether, and how, public perception of an exaggerated association between voice hearing and mental illness might influence individuals’ need for clinical care. Method: A narrative literature review was conducted, using relevant peer-reviewed research published in the English language. Results: Stigma may prevent disclosure of voice hearing experiences. Non-disclosure can prevent access to sources of normalizing information and lead to isolation, loss of social support and distress. Internalization of stigma and concomitantly decreased self-esteem could potentially affect features of voices such as perceived voice power, controllability, negativity and frequency, as well as distress. Increased distress may result in a decrease in functioning and increased need for clinical care. Conclusion: The literature reviewed suggests that stigma has the potential to increase need for care through many interrelated pathways. However, the ability to draw definitive conclusions was constrained by the designs of the studies reviewed. Further research is needed to confirm the findings of this review.

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  • It can be difficult to identify and recruit nonclinical voice-hearers because it may be uneasy to share their own experience, probably fearing encountering stigma or to be isolated by other people.

    “Furthermore, it can be difficult to identify and recruit nonclinical voice-hearers, because it may be uneasy to share their own experience, probably fearing encountering stigma [18, 24] or to be isolated by other people [25–27].”

    From The “common” experience of voice-hearing and its relationship with shame and guilt: a systematic review (2022) · cites this paper as [24]

  • Even when AVH is appraised as benign, positive, and controllable, it may be considered a social taboo, as it is difficult to talk about voices without being looked at strangely.

    “Even when AVH is appraised by their hearing voice’s experience as benign, positive, and controllable, this phenomenon may be considered a social taboo, as it is difficult to talk about voices “without being looked at in a strange way” [24, 64, 65].”

    From The “common” experience of voice-hearing and its relationship with shame and guilt: a systematic review (2022) · cites this paper as [24]

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Authors
Vilhauer, R. P.
Affiliations
New York University (US)
Corresponding author
Vilhauer, Ruvanee P
ORCID
Vilhauer, Ruvanee P
Venue
International Journal of Social Psychiatry
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Published
2016-11-04
Volume
63
Issue
1
Pages
5-13
ISSN
  • 0020-7640 (ISSN-L)
  • 1741-2854
DOI
10.1177/0020764016675888
OpenAlex
W2548558696
Cited by
50
References
80
Citations by year
2026: 14 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 2
FWCI
0.47
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
journals.sagepub.com/page/policies/text-and-data-mining-license (tdm)
Locations
  • International Journal of Social Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (acceptedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Mental Health Treatment and Access
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Schizophrenia research and treatment
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Hallucinations in medical conditions
Keywords
voice hearing, auditory verbal hallucinations, stigma, mental illness, disclosure, social isolation, social support, self-esteem, distress, media representation, schizophrenia
MeSH terms
Hallucinations, Humans, Schizophrenia, Self Concept, Social Support, Voice, Social Stigma, Early Medical Intervention

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