Compassionate mind training with people who hear malevolent voices: a case series report

Clin Psychol Psychother. 2008 Mar-Apr;15(2):113-38. doi: 10.1002/cpp.566.

Abstract

This paper presents a series of case studies to explore the understanding, acceptance and value of compassionate mind training (CMT) with psychotic voice hearers. We were interested in the degree to which such people are able to access and feel the positive emotions of 'warmth' and 'contentment' to become more self-compassionate. We also explored how CMT affected participants' hostile voices, their levels of anxiety, depression, paranoia and self-criticism. Participants were invited to offer suggestions for tailoring this approach for voice hearers. Results showed decreases for all participants in depression, psychoticism, anxiety, paranoia, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and interpersonal sensitivity. All participants' auditory hallucinations became less malevolent, less persecuting and more reassuring.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Anxiety Disorders / complications
  • Anxiety Disorders / diagnosis
  • Anxiety Disorders / therapy
  • Depressive Disorder / complications
  • Depressive Disorder / diagnosis
  • Depressive Disorder / therapy
  • Emotions
  • Empathy*
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Hallucinations / complications
  • Hallucinations / therapy*
  • Hostility*
  • Humans
  • Internal-External Control
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Mind-Body Therapies / methods*
  • Paranoid Disorders / complications
  • Paranoid Disorders / diagnosis
  • Paranoid Disorders / therapy
  • Power, Psychological
  • Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
  • Schizophrenia / complications
  • Schizophrenia / therapy
  • Self Concept
  • Self Disclosure