Voice Hearing Common in Youth with PTSD, Study Finds

Papercuts, Shanti Jahnsen

New research reveals a striking finding: nearly half of young people with PTSD from multiple traumas report hearing voices. In a study of 120 trauma-exposed youth aged 8-17, researchers found that 42% experienced voice hearing in the previous two weeks.

The study uncovered interesting patterns. Those who heard voices had more negative thought patterns about their trauma and reported their trauma memories as more fragmented and sensory-based. They also experienced higher levels of panic symptoms compared to those who didn't hear voices.

Importantly, while some participants' voice hearing was connected to flashbacks of their trauma, about a third of the voices were completely separate from trauma memories. This suggests voice hearing might be a more common response to trauma in young people than previously thought.

These findings could reshape how we support both trauma-exposed youth and adults diagnosed with schizophrenia or psychosis. For young adults, PTSD support may need to specifically address voice hearing experiences. For adults diagnosed with psychosis, this research suggests the importance of exploring past traumas that may have been overlooked due to an emphasis on biological causes alone.

While the research breaks new ground, it's important to note its limitations: with only 120 participants, larger studies will be needed to confirm these findings. Nevertheless, this study opens up important questions about the relationship between traumatic experiences and voice hearing across age groups.

Source: "Voice hearing in young people with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following multiple trauma exposure" by Katie Lofthouse et al., published in PMC (PMCID: PMC11656750).