The efficacy of using a personal stereo to treat auditory hallucinations: Preliminary findings

This article presents preliminary findings from the first participant to complete an experiment assessing the efficacy of the personal stereo in treating auditory hallucinations. O.C., a 50-year-old woman, took part in a controlled treatment trial in which 1-week baseline, personal stereo, and control treatment (nonfunctioning hearing aid) stages were alternated for 7 weeks. The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, Clinical Global Impression Scales, Beliefs About Voices Questionnaire, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and Topography of Voices Rating Scale were used. The personal stereo led to a decrease in the severity of O.C.‘s auditory hallucinations. For example, she rated her voices as being fairly distressing during baseline and control treatment stages but neutral during personal stereo stages. A slight decrease in other psychopathology also occurred during personal stereo stages. Use of the personal stereo did not lead to a decrease in self-esteem, contradicting suggestions that counterstimulation treatments for auditory hallucinations may be disempowering.