Beliefs and distress related to hearing voices: the German version of the Beliefs About Voices Questionnaire—Revised (BAVQ-R)

Background: Beliefs about voices are a determining factor with regards to distress, coping and therapeutic interventions in verbal auditory hallucinations. Aim of the present study was to use and validate the internationally well established Beliefs About Voices Questionnaire—Revised (BAVQ-R) in a German translation with people suffering from schizophrenic psychoses. Methods: 93 participants with a diagnosis of schizophrenia and current verbal auditory hallucinations completed the BAVQ-R autonomously for their dominant voice. Sociodemographic and clinical data as well as data concerning the severity of illness (CGI-Sch) and symptom specific dimensions of voice-hearing (PSYRATS-AH) were collected. Construct validity, reliability and test-retest-reliability were calculated. Results: Each of the subscales (malevolence, benevolence, resistance, engagement) with the exception of the subscale omnipotence showed satisfying internal consistency. Good test-retest-reliability was shown for the belief-subscales but not for emotion and behaviour in resistance and engagement. Significant correlations between the subscales showed the expected results, comparable to the results of the original BAVQ-R study. No correlations with severity of the illness, but with amount and intensity of distress through voices and their negative contents correlations were found. Conclusions for practice: The BAVQ-R is a feasible instrument to collect data about beliefs about voices in a valid and reliable way in people with a diagnosis of schizophrenia. From a therapeutic as well as from a scientific point of view, the question about the conceptualization of the relationship between cognition, emotion and behaviour stays relevant. © 2018, The Author(s).