Date of Award

1-1-2000

Document Type

Thesis

Publisher

Edith Cowan University

Degree Name

Master of Psychology

Faculty

Faculty of Community Services, Education and Social Sciences

First Supervisor

Associate Professor Ed Helmes

Abstract

This exploratory study examined the predictive relationship among the dimensions of auditory hallucinations and the presence of depression in chronic schizophrenia. Forty seven out-patients from the Inner City Community Mental Health Service participated, all of whom had a diagnosis of chronic schizophrenia and reported experiencing auditory hallucinations. The measures included the Calgary Rating Scale fur Schizophrenia, the Auditory Hallucinations Rating Scale, the Beliefs About Voices Questionnaire and three questions relating to insight into auditory hallucinations from the Schedule for the Assessment of Insight-Expanded Edition. Consistent with other reports, the present study found a prevalence of depressive symptoms in over 40% of the sample. All of the dimensions of auditory hallucinations together accounted for 42% of the variance in depression scores but there was no salient individual dimension that could account for a significant proportion of the variance. It was concluded that other factors, not just auditory hallucinations, are likely to have a role in determining the presence of depression in chronic schizophrenia.

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