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Auditory hallucinations across the lifespan: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 September 2017

K. Maijer ,
M. J. H. Begemann ,
S. J. M. C. Palmen ,
S. Leucht  and
I. E. C. Sommer
K. Maijer*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht and Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Heidelberglaan 100, 3485CX Utrecht, The Netherlands
M. J. H. Begemann
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht and Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Heidelberglaan 100, 3485CX Utrecht, The Netherlands
S. J. M. C. Palmen
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht and Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Heidelberglaan 100, 3485CX Utrecht, The Netherlands
S. Leucht
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Ismaningerstr. 22, 81675 München, Germany
I. E. C. Sommer
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht and Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Heidelberglaan 100, 3485CX Utrecht, The Netherlands
*
*Address for correspondence: K. Maijer, M.D., Psychiatry Department, University Medical Center Utrecht, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, HP A00.241, Heidelberglaan 100, 3485CX Utrecht, The Netherlands. (Email: k.maijer-2@umcutrecht.nl)
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Abstract

Background

Auditory Hallucinations (AH) are nowadays regarded as symptoms following a continuum; from a (transient) phenomenon in healthy individuals on one end to a symptom of (psychiatric) illnesses at the other. An accumulating number of epidemiological studies focused on the prevalence of AH in the general population, but results vary widely. The current meta-analysis aims to synthesize existing evidence on lifetime prevalence of AH across the lifespan.

Methods

We conducted a quantitative review and meta-analysis according to PRISMA guidelines. Studies were combined to calculate a mean lifetime general population AH prevalence rate. Moreover, prevalences were calculated for four age groups: children (5–12 years), adolescents (13–17 years), adults (18–60 years) and elderly (⩾60 years).

Results

We retrieved 25 study samples including 84 711 participants. Mean lifetime prevalence rate of AH was 9.6% (95% CI 6.7–13.6%). The mean lifetime prevalence was similar in children (12.7%) and adolescents (12.4%), but these two groups differed significantly from the adults (5.8%) and the elderly (4.5%). Significant heterogeneity indicated that there is still dispersion in true prevalence rates between studies, even within the different age categories.

Conclusions

Current meta-analysis shows that AH are quite common (up to one in ten individuals) in the general population during lifetime, with children and adolescents reporting these experiences significantly more often compared with adults and elderly. Large follow-up studies on the longitudinal course of AH are needed to reveal associated risk and resilience factors.

Keywords

Adolescentsadultsauditory hallucinationschildrenepidemiologygeneral populationprevalence
Type
Invited Review
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 48 , Issue 6 , April 2018 , pp. 879 - 888
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2017 

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Footnotes

†

Both authors contributed equally to this work.

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