Bringing the ‘Self’ into focus: conceptualising the role of self-experience for understanding and working with distressing voices
A primary goal of cognitive behaviour therapy for psychosis (CBTp) is to reduce distress and disability, not to change the positive symptoms of psychosis, such as hearing voices. Despite demonstrated associations between beliefs about voices and distress, the effects of CBTp on reducing voice distre...
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doaj-a9c76ad7c9e44ac2a7f3d20cb199d18d2020-11-24T22:38:02ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782015-08-01610.3389/fpsyg.2015.01129140405Bringing the ‘Self’ into focus: conceptualising the role of self-experience for understanding and working with distressing voicesSarah F. Fielding-Smith0Mark eHayward1Mark eHayward2Clara eStrauss3Clara eStrauss4David eFowler5David eFowler6Georgie ePaulik7Georgie ePaulik8Neil eThomas9Neil eThomas10University of SussexUniversity of SussexSussex Partnership NHS Foundation TrustUniversity of SussexSussex Partnership NHS Foundation TrustUniversity of SussexSussex Partnership NHS Foundation TrustSchool of Psychology, University of Western AustraliaSchizophrenia Research InstituteSwinburne UniversityMonash Alfred Psychiatry Research CentreA primary goal of cognitive behaviour therapy for psychosis (CBTp) is to reduce distress and disability, not to change the positive symptoms of psychosis, such as hearing voices. Despite demonstrated associations between beliefs about voices and distress, the effects of CBTp on reducing voice distress are disappointing. Research has begun to explore the role that the psychological construct of ‘self’ (which includes numerous facets such as self-reflection, self-schema and self-concept) might play in causing and maintaining distress and disability in voice hearers. However, attempts to clarify and integrate these different perspectives within the voice hearing literature, or to explore their clinical implications, are still in their infancy. This paper outlines how the self has been conceptualised in the psychosis and CBT literatures, followed by a review of the evidence regarding the proposed role of this construct in the aetiology of and adaptation to voice hearing experiences. We go on to discuss some of the specific intervention methods that aim to target these aspects of self-experience and end by identifying key research questions in this area. Notably, we suggest that interventions specifically targeting aspects of self-experience, including self-affection, self-reflection, self-schema and self-concept, may be sufficient to reduce distress and disruption in the context of hearing voices, a suggestion that now requires further empirical investigation.http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01129/fullSchizophreniaselfAuditory verbal hallucinationspsychosisPhenomenologypsychological intervention |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Sarah F. Fielding-Smith Mark eHayward Mark eHayward Clara eStrauss Clara eStrauss David eFowler David eFowler Georgie ePaulik Georgie ePaulik Neil eThomas Neil eThomas |
spellingShingle |
Sarah F. Fielding-Smith Mark eHayward Mark eHayward Clara eStrauss Clara eStrauss David eFowler David eFowler Georgie ePaulik Georgie ePaulik Neil eThomas Neil eThomas Bringing the ‘Self’ into focus: conceptualising the role of self-experience for understanding and working with distressing voices Frontiers in Psychology Schizophrenia self Auditory verbal hallucinations psychosis Phenomenology psychological intervention |
author_facet |
Sarah F. Fielding-Smith Mark eHayward Mark eHayward Clara eStrauss Clara eStrauss David eFowler David eFowler Georgie ePaulik Georgie ePaulik Neil eThomas Neil eThomas |
author_sort |
Sarah F. Fielding-Smith |
title |
Bringing the ‘Self’ into focus: conceptualising the role of self-experience for understanding and working with distressing voices |
title_short |
Bringing the ‘Self’ into focus: conceptualising the role of self-experience for understanding and working with distressing voices |
title_full |
Bringing the ‘Self’ into focus: conceptualising the role of self-experience for understanding and working with distressing voices |
title_fullStr |
Bringing the ‘Self’ into focus: conceptualising the role of self-experience for understanding and working with distressing voices |
title_full_unstemmed |
Bringing the ‘Self’ into focus: conceptualising the role of self-experience for understanding and working with distressing voices |
title_sort |
bringing the ‘self’ into focus: conceptualising the role of self-experience for understanding and working with distressing voices |
publisher |
Frontiers Media S.A. |
series |
Frontiers in Psychology |
issn |
1664-1078 |
publishDate |
2015-08-01 |
description |
A primary goal of cognitive behaviour therapy for psychosis (CBTp) is to reduce distress and disability, not to change the positive symptoms of psychosis, such as hearing voices. Despite demonstrated associations between beliefs about voices and distress, the effects of CBTp on reducing voice distress are disappointing. Research has begun to explore the role that the psychological construct of ‘self’ (which includes numerous facets such as self-reflection, self-schema and self-concept) might play in causing and maintaining distress and disability in voice hearers. However, attempts to clarify and integrate these different perspectives within the voice hearing literature, or to explore their clinical implications, are still in their infancy. This paper outlines how the self has been conceptualised in the psychosis and CBT literatures, followed by a review of the evidence regarding the proposed role of this construct in the aetiology of and adaptation to voice hearing experiences. We go on to discuss some of the specific intervention methods that aim to target these aspects of self-experience and end by identifying key research questions in this area. Notably, we suggest that interventions specifically targeting aspects of self-experience, including self-affection, self-reflection, self-schema and self-concept, may be sufficient to reduce distress and disruption in the context of hearing voices, a suggestion that now requires further empirical investigation. |
topic |
Schizophrenia self Auditory verbal hallucinations psychosis Phenomenology psychological intervention |
url |
http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01129/full |
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