Workshop: ‘HITting’ auditory vocal hallucinations

In this workshop you will get a lecture on auditory vocal hallucinations (AVH, or ‘hearing voices’) and Hallucination focused Integrative Treatment (HIT). 

AVH are a common phenomenon. In the general population, the life-time prevalence is 10% (female:male = 3:2); among psychiatric patients this is even higher (e.g. 80% in dissociative disorders, 70 % in schizophrenia). AVH can cause great suffering; they are associated with a lower quality of life, poor social functioning, depression and suicide. Unfortunately, medication and psychotherapy are effective in just a small population and poor compliance with therapy is common among patients with AVH.

Because of the limited effectiveness of regular therapies, the Voices Outpatient Department (VOD) of the Psychiatric University Medical Centre Groningen was founded in 1994. At the VOD patients are treated with HIT. HIT is composed of the clinically evident modules medication, cognitive behavioural treatment, coping training, psycho-education, family treatment and rehabilitation. Compliance with therapy is stimulated with a client-centred philosophy and an individualised treatment. Various studies show that compliance and satisfaction with HIT are high. The majority of patients report a reduction of AVH and lasting positive effects on subjective burden, control, quality of life and social functioning.

In the workshop “‘HITting’ auditory vocal hallucinations” a lecture on AVH and HIT will be given, followed by a demonstration of various facets of HIT.