Hearing voices and its psychosocial correlates in four Chinese samples

The experience of hearing voices is common in both clinical and nonclinical populations and has been found to be associated with various psychosocial factors (e.g., trauma, dissociation). However, little is known about voice-hearers (VHs) in the Chinese context. This study investigated the experience of hearing voices and its relationships with psychosocial variables in four independent Chinese samples, including two college student samples (n = 328), a sample of patients with depression (n = 71) and a sample of females with disabilities (n = 94). Self-report survey data were analyzed. Around 26% to 28% of participants in the three non-psychiatric samples reported hearing voices. Evidence for the differences in age, trauma exposure, overall psychopathology, depression and post-traumatic stress symptoms between VHs and non-VHs is insufficient or inconsistent across samples. There is some evidence for voice-hearing being associated with poor mental well-being, dissociation and ‘borderline personality’ symptoms. This study provides the first data regarding voice-hearing experiences and their psychosocial correlates in the Chinese context. Implications for research and practice are discussed.