Experiencing malevolent voices is associated with attentional dysfunction in psychotic patients

Inattention in people with schizophrenia is common. However, there has been little research on the association between inattention and auditory hallucinations. The aim of the study was to investigate how inattention is affected by beliefs about voices as benevolent and malevolent and perceived control of voices. A total of 31 patients who experienced auditory hallucinations and who met the criteria for schizophrenia or other psychosis completed the attention subscale of the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS) and the Connors’ Continuous Performance Test II (CCPT‐II). The revised Beliefs About Voices Questionnaire (BAVQ‐R) was used to assess malevolent and benevolent beliefs about voices, and severity of auditory hallucinations (the Psychotic Symptom Rating Scales; PSYRATS) was used to assess perceived control of voices and frequency of voices. Levels of depression (the Beck Depression Inventory; BDI), anxiety (the Beck Anxiety Inventory; BAI), severity of overall psychiatric symptoms (the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale; BPRS), and severity of negative symptoms (SANS) were assessed to control for their potential confounding effects. The relations between the variables were explored with correlations and multiple hierarchical regression analyses. The results indicated that more malevolent, but not more benevolent, beliefs about voices predicted lower levels of attention, independently of general psychiatric symptoms and various other psychotic symptoms such as frequency of and perceived control of voices. These findings suggest an important relationship between malevolent beliefs about voices and levels of inattention. The possible impact of changing beliefs about voices to improve attentional functioning is discussed.     

Alcohol and previous acquaintance: Mood and social interactions in small groups

The effects of alcohol (0.75 g/kg) on qualitative and quantitative aspects of verbal interaction and self-reported mood were studied in small groups of either strangers or acquaintances. Four groups consisting of two male and two female subjects were observed during discussion of a film topic. Significantly more verbal activity was observed as a function of alcohol ( p <0.01), consistent with self-reported euphoria, affiliative moods, and reduced social anxiety. Bales IPA data indicated that more negative emotions were expressed ( p <0.05) and more assertive communications were delivered as part of the generally increased verbal activity under alcohol conditions. Although alcohol and previous acquaintance tended to alter mood ratings in similar ways, alcohol was clearly the more powerful agent. Alcohol increased both total verbal activity and the output of more self-disclosing or provoking verbal responses. Although acquaintance alone had neither of these effects, it tended to promote the increase in verbal activity produced by alcohol.