Abuse and dysfunctional affiliations in childhood: an exploration of their impact on voice-hearers’ appraisals of power and expressed emotion

Abstract

Objective: To examine whether abuse and dysfunctional parental affiliation in childhood are associated with voice appraisals of power and perceived expressed emotion, present-day shame cognitions, and depression and suicidal ideation. Method: Seventy-four voice-hearers participated. Depressive and suicidal status, childhood abuse and parental affiliation, shame cognitions and appraisals of voice power and perceived expressed emotion were assessed. Results: Overall, childhood emotional abuse was linked to greater voice power and lack of emotional support from parents was linked to lower support and affiliation with voices. Rejection from father and emotional abuse were the strongest and consistent predictors of internal and external shame cognitions. Depression was strongly correlated with parental emotional abuse. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the voice/voice-hearer relationship operates as an emotional mirror reflecting elements of traumatic childhood affiliations, and that these affiliations are associated with present-day shame cognitions and depression.

Keywords:

• child abuse
• hearing voices
• depression
• parenting
• affiliation
• expressed emotion

Acknowledgement

Professor Birchwood was part-funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) through the Collaborations for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care for Birmingham and Black Country (CLAHRC-BBC) The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the NIHR, the Department of Health, NHS Partner Trusts, University of Birmingham or the CLAHRC-BBC Theme 3 Management Group.