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The ECHO Study: Compassion-focused Therapy for Young Voice Hearers and Their Caregivers

The ECHO Study: Compassion-focused Therapy for Young Voice Hearers and Their Caregivers

Status
Not yet recruiting
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT07314515
Acronym
ECHO
Enrollment
80
Registered
2026-01-02
Start date
2026-06-01
Completion date
2029-01-01
Last updated
2026-02-24

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Hallucinations, Auditory

Keywords

voice hearing

Brief summary

In this project, a 10-session treatment program was developed aimed at young people who experience voice hearing. The treatment has potential to easily be implemented in everyday clinical practice in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and eventually in Educational Psychological Counselling (PPR) and the newly established STIME services (low-threshold municipal treatment offers for children and young people). As part of the treatment, the young person's caregivers are involved. This means a high degree of involvement from adults who know the young person well and are part of their daily life. In addition to traditional Compassion-focuced therapy (CFT), the treatment is expanded with an intervention where an audio file is recorded with content corresponding to the adolescent's voice hearing. The parents are invited to listen to the audio file while participating in a therapy session. This will help improve the caregivers understanding of the young person's experiences and challenges.

Interventions

BEHAVIORALECHO Manualized CFT treatment for young voice heares

A manualized 10 session, intervention inspired by compassion focused therapy. A primary caretaker paticipates in 5 sessions.

Sponsors

University of Southern Denmark
Lead SponsorOTHER
Region Syddanmark
CollaboratorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
13 Years to 21 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* The participants should have been referred to a child and adolescent psychiatric hospital in Denmark . * The participants have heard voices within the last 2 weeks. * The participant can hear the content of the voices. The content takes the form of spoken works. * A caregiver who can participate in 5 sessions

Exclusion criteria

* Participants has an estimated IQ under 70 * Participants who don't speak and understand Danish, * Current drug misuse / abuse (during sessions) * Brain injury or neurological disorder e.g. severe epilepsy * Impaired vision or hearing to a degree that makes participation in therapy under normal conditions impossible.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Interpretation and relationship with the voicesData is collected 3 months prior to CFT treatment, immediately before the start of treatment, immediately after treatment is completed, and at 1 month follow-up.Psychotic symptoms are measured with: BAVQ-R (Beliefs about Voices Questionnaire - Revised) (Chadwick et al., 2000).( 35 items are rated (0-3) total minimum score 0, maximum score 105. Some scores indicate higher distress, while other indicate lower distress).
Severity and phenomenological characteristics of voice hearingData is collected 3 months prior to CFT treatment, immediately before the start of treatment, immediately after treatment is completed, and at 1 month follow-up.PSYRATS AH (Psychotic Symptoms Rating Scale Auditory Hallucinations) (Haddock et al., 1999). (11 items are rated (0-4) total minimum score 0, maximum score 44. Higher score being more severe)
Perceived ability to control or influence the voicesData is collected 3 months prior to CFT treatment, immediately before the start of treatment, immediately after treatment is completed, and at 1 month follow-up.The Yale Control Over Perceptual Experiences (COPE) Scales measures voluntary control over voices such as being able to intentionally influence the timing, frequency, or intensity of voice hearing experiences (Mourgues et al., 2022). (36 items are rated (1-7) total minimum score 36, maximum score 252. Higher scores indicate stronger perceived control over voices)

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Social CognitionSocial cognition is tested 3 months before treatment and right afterSocial cognition is tested with TASIT 2A DK (The Awareness of Social Inference Test) (McDonald et al., 2003). (60 items are rated, minimum total score 0, maximum score is 60. Lower score being more severe)
Subjective experience of feeling safe, accepted, and soothed in social relationships.Data is collected 3 months prior to CFT treatment, immediately before the start of treatment, immediately after treatment is completed, and at 1 month follow-upSSPS (Social safeness and pleasure scale) (Gilbert et al., 2009). (11 items are rated (1-5). Total minimum 11, total maximum 55. Lower score being more severe).
Compassion towards self.Data is collected 3 months prior to CFT treatment, immediately before the start of treatment, immediately after treatment is completed, and at 1 month follow-upSCS-SF (Self-Compassion Scale Short Form) (Raes et al., 2011; Neff et al., 2019) (12 items are rated (1-5) total minimum 12, total maximum 60. Lower score being more severe).
Subjective sense of interpersonal closeness and belongingData is collected 3 months prior to CFT treatment, immediately before the start of treatment, immediately after treatment is completed, and at 1 month follow-upThe Social Connectedness Scale Revised (Lee et al., 1995; Sabitelli et al., 2005). (8 items are rated (1-6). Total minimum score 8, total maximum score 48. Lower score being more severe).
Perceived availability and adequacy of social supportData is collected 3 months prior to CFT treatment, immediately before the start of treatment, immediately after treatment is completed, and at 1 month follow-upMSPSS (The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support) (Zimet et al. 1988).(12 items are rated (1-7) total minimum 12, total maximum 84. Lower score being more severe).

Countries

Denmark

Contacts

CONTACTMaja K Musaeus, Psychologist
maja@musaeus.eu+4591543221
CONTACTVibeke F Bliksted, Professor
vibeke.fuglsang.bliksted@rsyd.dk
STUDY_CHAIRCharlie Heriot-Maitland, Dr.

Balanced Minds

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Jul 12, 2026