Prevalence of auditory verbal hallucinations in a general population: A group comparison study

Abstract Background Home visits by paraprofessional community health workers (CHWs) has been shown to improve maternal and child health outcomes in research studies in many countries. Yet, when these are scaled or replicated, efficacy disappears. An effective CHW home visiting program in peri-urban Cape Town found maternal and child health benefits over the 5 years point but this study examines if these benefits occur in deeply rural communities. Methods A non-randomized, two-group comparison study evaluated the impact of CHW in the rural Eastern Cape from August 2014 to May 2017, with 1310 mother-infant pairs recruited in pregnancy and 89% were reassessed at 6 months post-birth. Results Home visiting had limited, but important effects on child health, maternal wellbeing and health behaviors. Mothers reported fewer depressive symptoms, attended more antenatal visits and had better baby-feeding practices. Intervention mothers were significantly more likely to exclusively breastfeed for 6 months (OR: 1.8; 95% CI: 1.1, 2.9), had lower odds of mixing formula with baby porridge (regarded as detrimental) (OR: 0.4; 95% CI: 0.2, 0.8) and were less likely to consult traditional healers. Mothers living with HIV were more adherent with co-trimoxazole prophylaxis (p < 0.01). Intervention-group children were significantly less likely to be wasted (OR: 0.5; 95% CI 0.3–0.9) and had significantly fewer symptoms of common childhood illnesses in the preceding two weeks (OR: 0.8; 95% CI: 0.7,0.9). Conclusion The impact of CHWs in a rural area was less pronounced than in peri-urban areas. CHWs are likely to need enhanced support and supervision in the challenging rural context.

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Clinical and bacteriologic evaluation of OPC-7251 in patients with acne: A double-blind group comparison study versus cream base

Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology ◽

10.1016/0190-9622(91)70252-w ◽

1991 ◽

Vol 25 (4) ◽

pp. 674-681 ◽

Cited By ~ 36

Author(s):

Ichiro Kurokawa ◽

Hirohiko Akamatsu ◽

Setsuko Nishijima ◽

Yasuo Asada ◽

Shigekatsu Kawabata

Keyword(s):

Group Comparison ◽

Comparison Study ◽

Double Blind

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The phenomenology of inner speech: comparison of schizophrenia patients with auditory verbal hallucinations and healthy controls

Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/s0033291708003978 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 39 (4) ◽

pp. 655-663 ◽

Cited By ~ 42

Author(s):

R. Langdon ◽

S. R. Jones ◽

E. Connaughton ◽

C. Fernyhough

Keyword(s):

General Population ◽

Population Sample ◽

Inner Speech ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

General Population Sample ◽

Hearing Voices ◽

Auditory Verbal Hallucinations ◽

Third Person

BackgroundDespite the popularity of inner-speech theories of auditory verbal hallucinations (AVHs), little is known about the phenomenological qualities of inner speech in patients with schizophrenia who experience AVHs (Sz-AVHs), or how this compares to inner speech in the non-voice-hearing general population.MethodWe asked Sz-AVHs (n=29) and a non-voice-hearing general population sample (n=42) a series of questions about their experiences of hearing voices, if present, and their inner speech.ResultsThe inner speech reported by patients and controls was found to be almost identical in all respects. Furthermore, phenomenological qualities of AVHs (e.g. second- or third-person voices) did not relate to corresponding qualities in inner speech.ConclusionsNo discernable differences were found between the inner speech reported by Sz-AVHs and healthy controls. Implications for inner-speech theories of AVHs are discussed.

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Post-Traumatic Symptomatology and Compulsions as Potential Mediators of the Relation Between Child Sexual Abuse and Auditory Verbal Hallucinations

Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy ◽

10.1017/s1352465817000686 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 46 (3) ◽

pp. 318-331 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Simon McCarthy-Jones

Keyword(s):

Sexual Abuse ◽

General Population ◽

Indirect Effects ◽

Psychiatric Morbidity ◽

Population Sample ◽

Childhood Adversity ◽

Child Physical Abuse ◽

Auditory Verbal Hallucinations ◽

Mediation Analyses ◽

Post Traumatic

Background: Whilst evidence is mounting that childhood sexual abuse (CSA) can be a cause of auditory verbal hallucinations (AVH), it is unclear what factors mediate this relation. Recent evidence suggests that post-traumatic symptomatology may mediate the CSA–AVH relation in clinical populations, although this hypothesis has not yet been tested in the general population. There is also reason to believe that obsessive ideation could mediate the CSA–AVH relation. Aims: To test for evidence to falsify the hypotheses that post-traumatic symptomatology, obsessions, compulsions, anxiety and depression mediate the relation between CSA and AVH in a general population sample. Method: Indirect effects of CSA on AVH via potential mediators were tested for, using a regression-based approach employing data from the 2007 Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey (n = 5788). Results: After controlling for demographics, IQ and child physical abuse, it was found that CSA, IQ, post-traumatic symptomatology and compulsions predicted lifetime experience of AVH. Mediation analyses found significant indirect effects of CSA on AVH via post-traumatic symptomatology [odds ratio (OR): 1.11; 95% confidence interval (CI):1.00–1.29] and compulsions (OR: 1.10, 95% CI: 1.01–1.28). Conclusions: These findings offer further support for the hypothesis that post-traumatic symptomatology is a mediator of the CSA–AVH relation. Although no evidence was found for obsessional thoughts as a mediating variable, a potential mediating role for compulsions is theoretically intriguing. This study's findings reiterate the need to ask about experiences of childhood adversity and post-traumatic symptomology in people with AVH, as well as the likely therapeutic importance of trauma-informed and trauma-based interventions for this population.

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