Staff and voice hearer perspectives on Hearing Voices Groups in the NHS: a mixed-methods cross-sectional survey
IntroductionFor over 40 years, Hearing Voices Groups (HVGs) have provided a space for individuals distressed by hearing voices to share their experiences openly. Most of these groups have existed in the community and adhere to a unique ethos which, at times, may be antithetical to that of mental hea...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1583370/full |
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| author | Alison Branitsky Alison Branitsky Alison Branitsky Anthony P. Morrison Anthony P. Morrison Eleanor Longden Eleanor Longden Eleanor Longden Sandra Bucci Sandra Bucci Filippo Varese Filippo Varese |
| author_facet | Alison Branitsky Alison Branitsky Alison Branitsky Anthony P. Morrison Anthony P. Morrison Eleanor Longden Eleanor Longden Eleanor Longden Sandra Bucci Sandra Bucci Filippo Varese Filippo Varese |
| author_sort | Alison Branitsky |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionFor over 40 years, Hearing Voices Groups (HVGs) have provided a space for individuals distressed by hearing voices to share their experiences openly. Most of these groups have existed in the community and adhere to a unique ethos which, at times, may be antithetical to that of mental health services. Recently, HVGs have started to be run within statutory services, including the UK’s National Health Service (NHS), raising questions about the practical and ideological barriers and facilitators to their successful implementation.MethodsNHS staff (N = 49) and HVG members (N = 26) took part in a mixed-methods survey aimed at understanding their perspectives on delivering HVGs in the NHS.ResultsOverall, both staff and HVG members expressed enthusiasm for HVGs in the NHS, recognising their role in fostering peer connection, though staff raised concerns about risk management and HVG members questioned whether NHS-run groups could fully uphold HVG ethos.DiscussionWhilst HVGs offer a promising user-led approach, further research is needed to understand precisely how to run these types of groups in statutory services. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e2579bf3fe9a4d4480c783637527b5fb |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj-art-e2579bf3fe9a4d4480c783637527b5fb2025-08-20T02:44:29ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782025-07-011610.3389/fpsyg.2025.15833701583370Staff and voice hearer perspectives on Hearing Voices Groups in the NHS: a mixed-methods cross-sectional surveyAlison Branitsky0Alison Branitsky1Alison Branitsky2Anthony P. Morrison3Anthony P. Morrison4Eleanor Longden5Eleanor Longden6Eleanor Longden7Sandra Bucci8Sandra Bucci9Filippo Varese10Filippo Varese11Division of Psychology and Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United KingdomPsychosis Research Unit, Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, United KingdomComplex Trauma and Resilience Research Unit, Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, United KingdomDivision of Psychology and Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United KingdomPsychosis Research Unit, Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, United KingdomDivision of Psychology and Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United KingdomPsychosis Research Unit, Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, United KingdomComplex Trauma and Resilience Research Unit, Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, United KingdomDivision of Psychology and Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United KingdomComplex Trauma and Resilience Research Unit, Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, United KingdomDivision of Psychology and Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United KingdomComplex Trauma and Resilience Research Unit, Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, United KingdomIntroductionFor over 40 years, Hearing Voices Groups (HVGs) have provided a space for individuals distressed by hearing voices to share their experiences openly. Most of these groups have existed in the community and adhere to a unique ethos which, at times, may be antithetical to that of mental health services. Recently, HVGs have started to be run within statutory services, including the UK’s National Health Service (NHS), raising questions about the practical and ideological barriers and facilitators to their successful implementation.MethodsNHS staff (N = 49) and HVG members (N = 26) took part in a mixed-methods survey aimed at understanding their perspectives on delivering HVGs in the NHS.ResultsOverall, both staff and HVG members expressed enthusiasm for HVGs in the NHS, recognising their role in fostering peer connection, though staff raised concerns about risk management and HVG members questioned whether NHS-run groups could fully uphold HVG ethos.DiscussionWhilst HVGs offer a promising user-led approach, further research is needed to understand precisely how to run these types of groups in statutory services.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1583370/fullvoice hearingHearing Voices Networkpeer supportNHS staffsurvey |
| spellingShingle | Alison Branitsky Alison Branitsky Alison Branitsky Anthony P. Morrison Anthony P. Morrison Eleanor Longden Eleanor Longden Eleanor Longden Sandra Bucci Sandra Bucci Filippo Varese Filippo Varese Staff and voice hearer perspectives on Hearing Voices Groups in the NHS: a mixed-methods cross-sectional survey Frontiers in Psychology voice hearing Hearing Voices Network peer support NHS staff survey |
| title | Staff and voice hearer perspectives on Hearing Voices Groups in the NHS: a mixed-methods cross-sectional survey |
| title_full | Staff and voice hearer perspectives on Hearing Voices Groups in the NHS: a mixed-methods cross-sectional survey |
| title_fullStr | Staff and voice hearer perspectives on Hearing Voices Groups in the NHS: a mixed-methods cross-sectional survey |
| title_full_unstemmed | Staff and voice hearer perspectives on Hearing Voices Groups in the NHS: a mixed-methods cross-sectional survey |
| title_short | Staff and voice hearer perspectives on Hearing Voices Groups in the NHS: a mixed-methods cross-sectional survey |
| title_sort | staff and voice hearer perspectives on hearing voices groups in the nhs a mixed methods cross sectional survey |
| topic | voice hearing Hearing Voices Network peer support NHS staff survey |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1583370/full |
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