ABSTRACT
The cognitive model of distressing voices is grounded in the cognitive model of depression and anxiety and regards beliefs about voices, rather than voices themselves, as determinants of distress and functioning. A range of psychological therapies have emerged that specifically target beliefs about self, including Cognitive Therapy for Command Hallucinations (CTCH), Person-Based Cognitive Therapy (PBCT), Competitive Memory Training (COMET) and Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT). Despite the number of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) for psychosis people's have learnt relatively little from these with regard to efficacy specifically for people distressed by hearing voices. The Hearing Voices Movement (HVM) is an international movement in which experts by experience work in partnership with experts by profession. Most RCTs of psychological therapies for psychosis in general, and for distressing voices in particular, have compared to 'treatment as usual' (TAU). TAU is usually highly variable but often consists of brief, infrequent contact with a mental health care worker.
