Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-lj6df Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-05T14:48:34.014Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The implementation of a ‘Living with Voices’ group in a psychiatric intensive care unit: A pilot study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 December 2009

Libby Davidson*
Affiliation:
Mayflower Ward, Department of Psychiatry, Royal South Hants Hospital, St Mary’s, Southampton
Vicky Hammond
Affiliation:
Mayflower Ward, Department of Psychiatry, Royal South Hants Hospital, St Mary’s, Southampton
Tess Maguire
Affiliation:
Mayflower Ward, Department of Psychiatry, Royal South Hants Hospital, St Mary’s, Southampton
*
Correspondence to: Libby Davidson, Mayflower Ward, Department of Psychiatry, Royal South Hants Hospital, St Mary’s, Southampton, SO14 0YG. Tel: 02380 825548; E-mail: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

This article presents the initial implementation and adaptation of a group for people who hear voices in a psychiatric intensive care unit (PICU) using a cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) approach. It highlights the lack of evidence-based psychosocial group interventions designed specifically for the PICU environment and challenges the traditional medical-model of PICU care. It also highlights national policy and guidelines advocating the implementation of CBT approaches for severe and enduring mental illness. An overview of the group sessions is described, with particular focus on adaptations of the group content and delivery for PICU populations. The authors note that twenty three clients have attended the PICU voices groups to date, demonstrating the feasibility of voices groups in PICU environments. Further work is currently being undertaken including formal evaluations of group outcomes using standardised measures.

Type
Original Article
Copyright
Copyright © NAPICU 2009

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Abas, M., Vanderpyl, J., Prou, T.L., Kydd, R., Emery, B. and Foliaki, S. (2003) Psychiatric hospitalization: Reasons for admission and alternatives to admission in South Auckland, New Zealand. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry. 37(5): 620625.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Beck, A. (1976) Cognitive Therapy and the Emotional Disorders. New York: International Universities Press.Google Scholar
Beer, M.D., Pereira, S.M. and Paton, C. (ed.) (2008) Psychiatric Intensive Care. 2nd Edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Birchwood, M., Dovey, A., McLeod, T. and Morris, M. (2007) Cognitive behavioural therapy group work with voice hearers. Part 1. British Journal of Nursing. 16: 248252.Google Scholar
Chadwick, P.D.J. (2006) Person Based Cognitive Therapy for Psychosis. New York: Wiley.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chadwick, P. & Birchwood, M. (1995) The omnipotence of voices: The Beliefs About Voices Questionnaire (BAVQ). British Journal of Psychiatry. 166: 773776.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Chadwick, P., Lees, S. and Birchwood, M. (2000) The revised Beliefs About Voices Questionnaire (BAVQ-R). British Journal of Psychiatry. 177: 229232.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gottesman, I.I. (1991) Schizophrenia Genesis: the Origins of Madness. New York: Freeman.Google Scholar
Kingdon, D. and Turkington, D. (2002) Effectiveness of a brief cognitive-behavioural therapy intervention in the treatment of schizophrenia. British Journal of Psychiatry. 180: 523527.Google Scholar
Miles, H., Peters, E. and Kuipers, E. (2007) Service-user satisfaction with CBT for psychosis. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy. 35: 109116.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
National Institute for Clinical Excellence (2002) Schizophrenia. Full National Clinical Guideline on Core Interventions in Primary and Secondary Care. London, NICE.Google Scholar
National Institute for Clinical Excellence (in press) Schizophrenia: Core interventions in the treatment and management of schizophrenia in adults in primary and secondary care (update). London: NICE.Google Scholar
Nelson, H.E. (2005) Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy with Delusions and Hallucinations: A practice manual. 2nd Edition. Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes.Google Scholar
Okocha, C.I. (2008) Pharmacological therapy. In: Beer, M.D., Pereira, S.M., Paton, C. (eds). Psychiatric Intensive Care. 2nd Edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp 50–73.Google Scholar
Os, J. and McGuffin, P. (2003) Can the social environment cause schizophrenia? The British Journal of Psychiatry. 182: 291292.Google ScholarPubMed
Penn, D.L., Waldheter, E.J., Perkins, D.O., Mueser, K.T. and Lieberman, J.A. (2005) Psychosocial treatment for first episode psychosis: A research update. The American Journal of Psychiatry. 162(12): 22202238.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pereira, S.M., Sarsam, M., Bhui, K. and Paton, C. (2005) The London survey of psychiatric intensive care units: Psychiatric intensive care patients characteristics and pathways for admission and discharge. Journal of Psychiatric Intensive Care. 1(1): 1724.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Romme, N. and Escher, A. (1989) Hearing voices. Schizophrenia Bulletin. 15: 209216.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Romme, N. and Escher, A. (2000) Making Sense of Voices. London: Mind Publications.Google Scholar
Tien, A.Y. (1991) Distributions of hallucinations in the population. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology. 26(6): 287292.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Willner, P. (1997) The dopamine hypothesis of schizophrenia: Current status, future prospects. International Clinical Psychopharmacology. 12(6): 297308.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wykes, T., Parr, A.M. and Landau, S. (1999) Group treatment of auditory hallucinations: Exploratory study of effectiveness. The British Journal of Psychiatry. 175: 180185.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Zubin, J. and Spring, B. (1977) Vulnerability – A new view of schizophrenia. Journal of Abnormal Psychology. 86: 103126.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed