The meaning of voices: experiences of people with auditory hallucinations and contributions for improving nursing care
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5538/2385-703X.2026.30.5Keywords:
hallucinations, psychiatric nursing, mental health, nursing care, perceptionAbstract
Objective: to analyze the subjective experience of people who experience auditory hallucinations in the form of voices, in order to identify opportunities for improvement in nursing care.
Material and methods: qualitative study with a grounded theory-based design. Purposive sampling was carried out until theoretical saturation was reached. Fourteen adults residing in Spain with current or past experience of auditory verbal hallucinations participated, recruited from mental health associations and a psychosocial rehabilitation center. Eight individual interviews and one discussion group (sample size [n] = 6) were conducted, using a semi-structured guide focused on impact, attributed meaning, coping, and support networks. The analysis was carried out using Glaser and Strauss's constant comparative method, applying open, axial, and selective coding.
Results: four categories emerged: (1) impact of auditory verbal hallucinations (thoughts, emotions, and behaviors changing over time); (2) meaning attributed to the voices (diverse initial interpretations and subsequent reappraisals); (3) experience of the process (generally traumatic memories, stigma, loneliness, and difficulties in self-care, along with coping strategies based on externalization, peer support, and acceptance); and (4) nursing and other support networks (heterogeneous perceived support and limited explicit engagement with the voices in routine practice).
Conclusions: people who hear voices call for more active, personalized, and experience-centered nursing care. Integrating specific interventions to address the voices could reduce suffering, foster coping, and improve quality of life.
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