Psychosis and Deafness in Forensic Settings: How Are Hallucinations and Delusions Shaped by Experiences of Being Deaf

Abstract

Forensic inpatients who experience hallucinations and delusions present with complex clinical needs, which can be exacerbated through additional individual difficulties and disabilities impacting responsivity. Experiences of hallucinations and delusions are shaped by the individual’s context and culture; however, to date this has not been explored with regards to the experience of deaf persons. The current study employed Multiple Sequential Functional Analysis to conceptualize the developmental nature of hallucinations and/or delusions in a sample of three Deaf men from a secure specialist Deaf service. No evidence was found of unique experiences shaping the content and themes of hallucinations; however, participants reported a learning history of associating deafness with being inferior, which later emerged in delusions of grandeur. Across all three cases, there was a noticeable lack of clinical information available in case notes and a lack of targeted interventions offered by forensic service providers.

Keywords:

• Deafness
• hallucinations
• delusions
• psychosis
• Multiple Sequential Functional Analysis
• forensic inpatients

Notes

1 A relational frame refers to the pairing of stimuli whereby connections are derived between the stimuli that have the ability to change the nature or function of the stimuli (Hayes, Barnes-Holmes, & Roche, 2001).