Why is this research or review needed?
• Some patients with chronic schizophrenia who are on regular medication do not respond well to drugs. As a result, certain patients are still disturbed by auditory hallucinations, which affect their affective symptoms. • Auditory hallucination symptom management has been widely employed in psychiatric settings in the USA and Thailand to reduce auditory hallucinations, anxiety and depressed mood. • In Taiwan, antipsychotic medications continue to be a critical intervention to reduce auditory hallucinatory symptoms in people with schizophrenia. Very few non-medicinal interventions have been employed to alleviate the symptoms of auditory hallucinations.
What are the key findings?
• When administered to patients with schizophrenia at psychiatric inpatient rehabilitation wards, the auditory hallucination symptom management programme resulted in significant improvement of depressive symptoms at 3 months post intervention • The patients’ auditory hallucinatory symptoms significantly improved from pre- to post-programme and this improvement was maintained for at least 6 months after the conclusion of the programme.
How should the findings be used to influence policy/ practice/research/education?
• Auditory hallucination symptom management programmes should be considered as an intervention for patients with schizophrenia to reduce auditory hallucinatory and depressive symptoms. • The results of this study can provide a reference guide for psychiatric nurses, as an awareness of auditory hallucination symptom management would enhance their professional competence.