Download

Download Full Text (259 KB)

Keywords

auditory verbal hallucinations, schizophrenia, phenomenology, psychosis

Abstract

AVHs are experienced by 75% of persons with schizophrenia, and they are characterized by verbal experiences that do not arise through an audible sensation. AVHs often cause debilitating comorbid symptoms and understanding them is important to ameliorate these outcomes. This paper is a literature review of studies surrounding the phenomenology of AVHs in schizophrenia. We gathered 26 papers through using the APAPsychnet and Web of Knowledge databases. We found that negative emotional valence was characteristic of AVHs in schizophrenia. Furthermore, AVHs appeared to have a distinct linguistic and tonal profile and affected behavior significantly. A command subtype, a hypervigilance subtype, and a Schneiderian voice subtype were discovered. Healthy controls appeared to have similar phenomenology, but persons with schizophrenia had higher negative emotional valence. This was represented in literature comparing schizophrenia with other psychoses, and studies demonstrate that more significant differences exist across diagnostic groups rather than individual diagnoses. Further research is needed to develop the widely held ISMM theory, claiming that voices are the product of inner thought confusion. Additionally, more research is needed to establish subtypes and to construct a more comprehensive therapeutic modality to treat persons with schizophrenia experiencing AVHs.

Document Type

Poster

Publication Date

2025-12-04

Language

English

College

Family, Home, and Social Sciences

Department

Psychology

University Standing at Time of Publication

Sophomore

Course

Psych 307

The Phenomenology of Auditory Verbal Hallucinations: A Literature Review

Included in

Psychology Commons

Share

COinS