A clinical trial measuring a new clinical psychology intervention on improving outcomes for people with schizophrenia and distressing voice hallucinations.

Name and description of the investigational product – Clinical Psychology Intervention for Voice Hallucinations (CPV) CPV is at least one 45 minute individual face to face session with a Clinical Psychologist on the Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital Mental Health Unit (SCGH MHU), involving assessment and linking into community therapy with a clinical psychologist, during a 1 day admission on the SCGH MHU. The maximum time of a CPV is 1 hour 3 times week over a 12 month admission. How many sessions each participant attends is a collaborative decision between the participant, the clinical psychologist and the treating team based on the clinical needs of the patient and length of hospital stay. The clinical psychologist draws from the following three modules as required for each patient. The duration and number of sessions taken to complete each of the three modules is based on the individual needs of each participant and in collaboration with the clinical psychologist . The minimum duration would be 0 minutes during 1 assessment session of 45 minutes. The maximum would be 1 hour of each module per week for 12 months. This would be unusual. The first 3 modules are a description of how the clinical psychologist might spend the time with the patient on top of assessment and supporting the patient to obtain and negotiate a referral to a suitable clinical psychologist in the community. Module 1 is called Coping with Voices and includes a discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of strategies already used; review of a strategy handout about healthy lifestyle techniques, keeping a balanced perspective, understanding your voices, distraction/interfering techniques and calming/soothing techniques; identification of up to 3 strategies willing to be tried after the group. Module 2 is called Coping with Voices and Self-esteem. It includes discussion of the definition of self esteem, how voice hallucination experience influences self-esteem, self-esteem enhancement, and acknowledgement of the participant's positive qualities. Module 3 is called Coping with Voices and Stigma. It includes discussion about participant and public attitudes to mental illness and psychotic spectrum disorders, experiences with stigma, education about common mental illness myths, coping strategies for discrimination and negative attitudes. Handouts from the first 3 modules are available to patients as appropriate Adherence to the intervention is monitored by the SCGH MHU clinical psychologists who meet weekly for 1 hour of reflective practice. They will keep a record of the duration, number and date of sessions of an intervention for each patient on the Patient Information Form.