"You hear voices too?": A hearing voices group for people with learning disabilities in a community mental health setting

Accessible Summary We ran a group for people with learning disabilities who hear voices that nobody else can hear. During the group, people talked about what it is like to hear voices nobody else can hear and how they cope. We interviewed people before and after the group. We asked them about what their voices say, how they felt about their voices and why they thought they heard voices. We also asked them about their quality of life and if they liked the group. People told us that they liked the group and found it helpful to talk to other people who hear voices. Some people said they felt better after the group. We want to run another group in the future and make it run for longer. We might run a group for family members, friends and carers. Background Hearing voices groups (HVGs) are effective avenues of support for people who hear voices in the general population yet their application and adaptation for people with learning disabilities who hear voices are scarce. Methods This paper is an evaluation of a pilot HVG for people with learning disabilities. Five people attended the group which ran once weekly for 6 weeks. Measures of psychological functioning and quality of life were collected before and after the group. Participants' understanding of their voice hearing experiences and the stigma associated with voice hearing were explored at the pre- and post-group stage. Results High attendance rates and positive satisfaction ratings suggested the group was acceptable to clients. Participants said they had increased understanding of voice hearing and endorsed the positive value of social support. Conclusions The use of quantitative outcome measures should be reviewed when conducting HVGs. Although the 6-week group was associated with positive feedback, there might be benefit in extending the number of sessions offered as well as involving carers. Bridging the gap between services available for those who hear voices in the general population compared to people with a learning disability is essential.