A master thesis from Aalborg University
Stemmehøring, selvforståelse og recovery: En kvalitativ undersøgelse af stemmehøreres meningsskabelse
[Voice-hearing, Self-understanding, and Recovery: A Qualitative Study of Meaning-making Among Voice-hearers]
Forfatter(e)
Semester
4. semester
Uddannelse
Udgivelsesår
2015
Afleveret
2025-05-28
Antal sider
69 pages
Abstract
The aim of this thesis is to investigate how voice-hearers’ understanding of their voices influence their self-perception and recovery process. Grounded in a social constructivist perspective and drawing on narrative psychology and recovery theory, voice-hearing is explored as a phenomenon that is constructed and takes on meaning within social and cultural contexts. This research is grounded in two overarching narrative frameworks: voice-hearing as a symptom of mental illness and voice-hearing as a response to distressing life events. The study is based on qualitative interviews with four individuals who hear at least one voice. The data was analysed using thematic analysis, in which five central themes were identified: 1) lack of narrative structuring, 2) stigma and prejudice, 3) sense of belonging, 4) personifica-tion and relational connection, and 5) personal development. The analysis shows that meaning-making in relation to voice-hearing does not occur in isolation but is shaped through interaction with dominant societal narra-tives. Voice-hearing is often associated with schizophrenia, and strong stereotypical notions – particularly the idea of voice-hearers as dangerous and unpredictable – may hinder the development of a positive self-perception and thereby undermine the recovery process. Furthermore, the findings hint at, depending on which societal narrative the voice-hearer subscribes to, the cause of action in relation to under-standing and subsequent treatment may differ. While medical treatment does not necessarily remove or suppress the voices, it may support essential aspects of psy-chological well-being, such as affect regulation and anxiety reduction – factors that appear crucial for initiating a recovery process and developing a more coherent self-perception. The analysis suggests that voice-hearing can evolve from an anxiety-laden and alien experience into an intrapsychic phenomenon integrated into the self. Thus, making sense of voice-hearing through meaningful narrative construction plays a central role in psychological recovery and the development of a positive self-perception.
Emneord
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