Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-25wd4 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-26T04:55:46.764Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Use of Rescripting Imagery for People with Psychosis Who Hear Voices

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 August 2013

Rebecca Ison ,
Luigi Medoro ,
Nadine Keen  and
Elizabeth Kuipers
Rebecca Ison*
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College London, UK
Luigi Medoro
Affiliation:
Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service, Nambour, Queensland, Australia
Nadine Keen
Affiliation:
South London and Maudsley NHS Trust, UK
Elizabeth Kuipers
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College London, and Biomedical Research Centre, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, UK
*
Reprint requests to Rebecca Ison, Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College London, Early Intervention Team, 80 St Stephens Road, Norwich NR1 3RE, UK. E-mail: rebecca.ison@nsft.nhs.uk
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Background: Image rescripting can be helpful in reducing the distress associated with intrusive images or memories across a range of disorders. Existing studies using imagery rescripting with people with psychosis have not included people who hear voices. Aims: This study aimed to explore the use of image rescripting with people with psychosis who have intrusive images or memories and hear voices. Method: This study used a one-off image rescripting session, using an A-B design with four participants with psychosis who were attending adult mental health community services. Results: Clinically significant reductions in distress, negative affect and reduced conviction in the beliefs associated with the imagery were reported at 1-week follow-up and maintained for three of the four participants at 1-month follow-up. Conclusions: The study offers early indications that image rescripting can be used as a treatment approach for people with psychosis. Exploring visual imagery and rescripting visual memories where appropriate may be a useful extension of cognitive behavioural therapy for psychosis (CBTp).

Keywords

Intrusive imageryhearing voicesimage rescriptingCBT for psychosis
Type
Empirically Grounded Clinical Interventions
Information
Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy , Volume 42 , Issue 2 , March 2014 , pp. 129 - 142
Copyright
Copyright © British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies 2013 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

American Psychiatric Association (1994). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th edn). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.Google Scholar
Anketell, C., Dorahy, M. J. and Curran, D. (2011). A preliminary qualitative investigation of voice hearing and its association with dissociation in chronic PTSD. Journal of Trauma and Dissociation, 12, 88–101.Google Scholar
Arntz, A., Tiesema, M. and Kindt, M. (2007). Treatment of PTSD: a comparison of imaginal exposure with and without image rescripting. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 38, 345–370.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Arntz, A. and Weertman, A. (1999). Treatment of childhood memories: theory and practice. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 37, 715–740.Google Scholar
Berntsen, D. and Rubin, D. C. (2006). Emotion and vantage point in autobiographical memory. Cognition and Emotion, 20, 1193–1215.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Birchwood, M., Meaden, A., Trower, P., Gilbert, J. and Plaistow, J. (2000). The power and omnipotence of voices: subordination and entrapment by voices and significant others. Psychological Medicine, 30, 337–344.Google Scholar
Brewin, C. R., Wheatley, I., Patel, T., Fearon, P., Hackmann, A., Wells, A., et al. (2009). Imagery rescripting as a brief stand-alone treatment for depressed patients with intrusive memories. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 47, 569–576.Google Scholar
Cooper, M. (2011). Working with imagery to modify core beliefs in people with eating disorders: a clinical protocol. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 18, 454–465.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cooper, M. J., Todd, G. and Turner, H. (2007). The effects of using imagery to modify core emotional beliefs in bulimia nervosa: an experimental pilot study. Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy, 21, 117–122.Google Scholar
Day, S., Holmes, E. and Hackmann, A. (2004). Occurrence of imagery and its link with early memories in agoraphobia. Memory, 12, 416–427.Google Scholar
Ehlers, A. and Clark, D. A. (2000). A cognitive model for posttraumatic stress disorder. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 38, 319–345.Google Scholar
Foa, E. B., Cashman, L., Jaycox, L. and Perry, K. (1997). The validation of a self-report measure of posttraumatic stress disorder: the posttraumatic diagnostic scale. Psychological Assessment, 9, 445–451.Google Scholar
Fowler, D., Freeman, D., Smith, B., Kuipers, E., Bebbington, P., Bashforth, H., et al. (2006). The Brief Core Schema Scales (BCSS): psychometric properties and associations with paranoia and grandiosity in non-clinical and psychosis samples. Psychological Medicine, 36, 749–759.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Freeman, D. and Garety, P. (2003).Connecting neurosis and psychosis: the direct influence of emotion and hallucinations. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 41, 923–947.Google Scholar
Garety, P., Kuipers, E., Fowler, D., Freeman, D. and Bebbington, P. E. (2001). A cognitive model of the positive symptoms of psychosis. Psychological Medicine, 31, 189–195.Google Scholar
Gregory, J. D., Brewin, C., Mansell, W. and Donaldson, C. (2010). Intrusive images in bipolar disorder. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 48, 698–703.Google Scholar
Hackmann, A. (2011). Imagery rescripting in posttraumatic stress disorder. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 18, 424–432.Google Scholar
Hackmann, A. and Holmes, E. (2004). Reflecting on imagery: a clinical perspective and overview of the special issue of memory on mental imagery and memory in psychopathology. Memory, 12, 389–402.Google Scholar
Hackmann, A., Surawy, C. and Clark, D. (1998). Seeing yourself through others’ eyes: a study of spontaneously occurring images in social phobia. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 26, 3–12.Google Scholar
Haddock, G., McCarron, J., Tarrier, N. and Faragher, E. B. (1999). Scales to measure dimensions of hallucinations and delusions: the psychotic symptom rating scales (PSYRATS). Psychological Medicine, 29, 879–889.Google Scholar
Hardy, A., Fowler, D., Freeman, D., Smith, B., Steel, C., Evans, J., et al. (2005). Trauma and hallucinatory experience in psychosis. The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 193, 501–507.Google Scholar
Hirsch, C. R. and Holmes, E. A. (2007). Mental imagery in anxiety disorders. Psychiatry, 6, 161–165.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Holmes, E., Arntz, A. and Smucker, M. R. (2007). Imagery rescripting in cognitive behaviour therapy: images, treatment techniques and outcomes. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 38, 297–305.Google Scholar
Holmes, E. and Mathews, A. (2010). Mental imagery in emotion and emotional disorders. Clinical Psychology Review, 30, 349–362.Google Scholar
Hunt, M. and Fenton, M. (2007). Imagery rescripting versus in vivo exposure in the treatment of snake fear. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 38, 329–344.Google Scholar
Huppert, J. D., Smith, T. E. and Apfeldorf, W. J. (2002). Use of self-report measures of anxiety and depression in outpatients with schizophrenia: reliability and validity. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 24, 275–283.Google Scholar
Jacobson, N. S. and Traux, P. (1991). Clinical significance: a statistical approach to defining meaningful change in psychotherapy research. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 59, 12–19.Google Scholar
Lovibond, S. H. and Lovibond, P. F. (1995). Manual for the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (2nd edn). Sydney: Psychological Foundation.Google Scholar
McIsaac, H. K. and Eich, E. (2004).Vantage point in traumatic memory. Psychological Science, 15, 248–253.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Morrison, A. (2004). The use of imagery in cognitive therapy for psychosis: a case example. Memory, 12, 517–524.Google Scholar
Morrison, A., Beck, A. T., Glentworth, D., Dunn, H., Reid, G. S., Larkin, W., et al. (2002). Imagery and psychotic symptoms: a preliminary investigation. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 40, 1053–1062.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ohanian, V. (2002). Imagery rescripting with cognitive behaviour therapy for bulimia nervosa: an illustrative case report. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 31, 352–357.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Patel, T., Brewin, C. R., Wheatley, J., Wells, A., Fisher, P. and Myers, S. (2007). Intrusive images and memories in major depression. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 45, 2573–2580.Google Scholar
Schafer, I., Harfst, T., Aderhold, V., Briken, P., Lehmann, M., Morritz, S., et al. (2006). Childhood trauma and dissociation in female patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders: an exploratory study. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 94, 135–138.Google Scholar
Schultze, K. (2009). Intrusive Mental Imagery in People with Persecutory Delusions. Unpublished D.Clin. Psychology thesis, Kings College London.Google Scholar
Serruya, G. and Grant, P. (2009). Cognitive-behavioral therapy of delusions: mental imagery within a goal directed framework. Journal of Clinical Psychology: In session, 65, 791–802.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Smith, B., Fowler, D. G., Freeman, D., Bebbington, P., Bashforth, H., Garety, P., et al. (2006). Emotion and psychosis: links between depression, self-esteem, negative schematic beliefs and delusions and hallucinations. Schizophrenia Research, 86, 181–188.Google Scholar
Smucker, M. R. and Niederee, J. (1995). Treating incest-related PTSD and pathogenic schemas through imaginal exposure and rescripting. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 2, 63–93.Google Scholar
Somerville, K., Cooper, M. and Hackmann, A. (2007). Spontaneous imagery in women with bulimia nervosa: an investigation into content, characteristics and links to childhood memories. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 38, 435–446.Google Scholar
Stopa, L. (2011). Imagery rescripting across disorders: a practical guide. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 18, 421–423.Google Scholar
Wheatley, J., Brewin, C., Patel, T., Hackmann, A., Wells, A., Fisher, P., et al. (2007). “I’ll believe it when I can see it”: imagery rescripting of intrusive sensory memories in depression. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 38, 371–385.Google Scholar
Wild, J. and Clark, D. M. (2011). Imagery rescripting of early traumatic memories in social phobia. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 18, 433–443.Google Scholar
Wild, J., Hackmann, A. and Clark, D. M. (2008). Rescripting early memories linked to negative images in social phobia: a pilot study. Behavior Therapy, 39, 47–56.Google Scholar
Submit a response

Comments

No Comments have been published for this article.