The role of self-compassion on the relationship between trauma and hearing voices.

Traumatic life events are associated with increased risk of hearing voices and posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms have been implicated in this relationship. Studies indicate that increased self-compassion is associated with reduced PTS symptoms and voice-distress. The present study sought to examine whether self-compassion moderated the relationship between PTS symptoms and voice-distress. Self-report and clinician-administered questionnaires were used to measure self-compassion, PTS symptom severity, voice-frequency, and voice-distress in 62 trauma-affected voice-hearers who presented to a community voice-hearing clinic. Correlation analyses revealed that PTS symptom severity was positively correlated with voice-distress, but not voice-frequency, and that self-compassion was negatively correlated with voice-distress and PTS symptom severity. While self-compassion did not moderate the relationship between PTS symptom severity and voice-distress, it was associated with a significant reduction in voice-distress, at all levels of PTS symptom severity. Preliminary findings suggest self-compassion may play an important role in reducing voice-distress and thus warrant further consideration of self-compassion as a target in treatment for help-seeking voice-hearers.
(© 2021 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)