To investigate the feasibility and efficacy of a manualized Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) treatment for adolescents experiencing auditory hallucinations, and to involve their caregivers in the therapeutic process.
Approach:
Study Design: A prospective single-arm pre–post intervention study with a mirror-image approach, involving 60 adolescents aged 13-18 and a clinical comparison group of 20 individuals aged 18-20.
Treatment Protocol: The intervention consists of a 10-session manualized CFT for voice hearing, with caregivers participating in half of the sessions.
Data Collection: Data will be collected at four time points: 3 months prior to treatment, immediately before treatment, immediately after treatment, and at 1 month follow-up.
Key Findings:
Voice hearing can occur in healthy individuals or as part of psychiatric disorders, with 5-7.5% of adolescents experiencing it.
Compassion-focused therapy aims to balance threat, drive, and soothing systems to help individuals cope with voice hearing.
Caregivers' understanding of voice hearers' experiences may improve treatment outcomes.
Interpretation:
Limitations:
The study is limited to a specific age group and may not generalize to all individuals experiencing voice hearing.
The reliance on self-reported data may introduce bias.
Conclusion:
The ECHO study seeks to enhance understanding and treatment of voice hearing in adolescents through compassion-focused therapy and caregiver involvement.
