Staff and Voice Hearer Perspectives on Hearing Voices Groups in the NHS: A Mixed-Methods Cross-Sectional Survey

Alison Branitsky; Anthony P. Morrison; Eleanor Longden; Sandra Bucci; Filippo Varese

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1583370

Staff and Voice Hearer Perspectives on Hearing Voices Groups in the NHS: A Mixed-Methods Cross-Sectional Survey

Alison Branitsky, Anthony P. Morrison, Eleanor Longden, Sandra Bucci, Filippo Varese

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

For 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. NHS 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. Overall, 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. Whilst HVGs offer a promising user-led approach, further research is needed to understand precisely how to run these types of groups in statutory services.

Original language	English
Journal	Frontiers in Psychology
Volume	16
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1583370
Publication status	Published - 4 Jul 2025

Keywords

voice hearing1
Hearing Voices Network2
peer support3
NHS staff4
survey5

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10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1583370Licence: CC BY

NIHR Manchester Biomedical Research Centre
Bruce, I. (PI), Lord, G. (CoI), Lennon, R. (CoI), Black, G. (CoI), Wedge, D. (CoI), Morris, A. (CoI), Hussell, T. (CoI), Sharrocks, A. (CoI), Stivaros, S. (CoI), Buch, M. (CoI), Gough, J. (CoI), Kostarelos, K. (CoI), Thistlethwaite, F. (CoI), Kadler, K. (CoI), Barton, A. (CoI), Hyrich, K. (CoI), Mcbeth, J. (CoI), O'Neill, T. (CoI), Vestbo, J. (CoI), Simpson, A. (CoI), Singh, S. (CoI), Smith, J. (CoI), Felton, T. (CoI), Murray, C. (CoI), Griffiths, C. (CoI), Cullum, N. (CoI), Rhodes, L. (CoI), Warren, R. (CoI), Paus, R. (CoI), Dumville, J. (CoI), Viros Usandizaga, A. (CoI), Keavney, B. (CoI), Tomaszewski, M. (CoI), Allan, S. (CoI), Body, R. (CoI), Cartwright, E. (CoI), Heagerty, A. (CoI), Kalra, P. (CoI), Miller, C. (CoI), Rutter, M. (CoI), Smith, C. (CoI), Trafford, A. (CoI), Evans, D. (CoI), Crosbie, E. (CoI), Crosbie, P. (CoI), Harvie, M. (CoI), Howell, S. (CoI), Renehan, A. (CoI), Dive, C. (CoI), Blackhall, F. (CoI), Landers, D. (CoI), Krebs, M. (CoI), Cook, N. (CoI), Clarke, R. (CoI), Taylor, S. (CoI), Jorgensen, C. (CoI), Lorigan, P. (CoI), Jayson, G. (CoI), Valle, J. (CoI), Mccabe, M. (CoI), Armstrong, A. (CoI), Freitas, A. (CoI), Illidge, T. (CoI), Choudhury, A. (CoI), Hoskin, P. (CoI), West, C. (CoI), Van Herk, M. (CoI), Faivre-Finn, C. (CoI), Bristow, R. (CoI), Kirkby, K. (CoI), Birtle, A. (CoI), Mackay, R. (CoI), Radford, J. (CoI), Linton, K. (CoI), Higham, C. (CoI), Munro, K. (CoI), Plack, C. (CoI), Arden Armitage, C. (CoI), Bruce, I. (CoI), Moore, D. (CoI), Saunders, G. (CoI), Stone, M. (CoI), Haddock, G. (CoI), Lewis, S. (CoI), Elliott, R. (CoI), Green, J. (CoI), Lovell, K. (CoI), Morrison, A. (CoI), Shaw, J. (CoI), Bucci, S. (CoI), Ainsworth, J. (CoI), Webb, R. (CoI), Newman, W. (CoI), Banka, S. (CoI), Clayton-Smith, J. (CoI), Payne, K. (CoI), Moldovan, R. (CoI), Wynn, R. (CoI) & Jones, S. (CoI)
1/12/22 → 30/11/27
Project: Research

Cite this

@article{a6d34136e9e04b79b57ae44f9b7bffb0,

title = "Staff and Voice Hearer Perspectives on Hearing Voices Groups in the NHS: A Mixed-Methods Cross-Sectional Survey",

abstract = "For 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{\textquoteright}s National Health Service (NHS), raising questions about the practical and ideological barriers and facilitators to their successful implementation. NHS 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. Overall, 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. Whilst HVGs offer a promising user-led approach, further research is needed to understand precisely how to run these types of groups in statutory services. ",

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author = "Alison Branitsky and Morrison, \{Anthony P.\} and Eleanor Longden and Sandra Bucci and Filippo Varese",

year = "2025",

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doi = "10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1583370",

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AU - Morrison, Anthony P.

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AU - Bucci, Sandra

AU - Varese, Filippo

PY - 2025/7/4

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N2 - For 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. NHS 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. Overall, 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. Whilst HVGs offer a promising user-led approach, further research is needed to understand precisely how to run these types of groups in statutory services.

AB - For 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. NHS 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. Overall, 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. Whilst HVGs offer a promising user-led approach, further research is needed to understand precisely how to run these types of groups in statutory services.

KW - voice hearing1

KW - Hearing Voices Network2

KW - peer support3

KW - NHS staff4

KW - survey5

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DO - 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1583370

M3 - Article

SN - 1664-1078

VL - 16

JO - Frontiers in Psychology

JF - Frontiers in Psychology

ER -

Staff and Voice Hearer Perspectives on Hearing Voices Groups in the NHS: A Mixed-Methods Cross-Sectional Survey

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Keywords

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NIHR Manchester Biomedical Research Centre

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