The Hearing Distressing Voices Simulation product is a empathy-building experience that helps healthcare professional students, mental health professionals, and first responders understand the challenges and strengths of people who experience psychosis. Hearing Distressing Voices Simulation was developed by Pat Deegan (1996), a clinical psychologist and behavioral health recovery advocate, as a transformative tool in mental health education and training. This HealthySimulation.com article by Teresa Gore, PhD, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, CHSE-A, FSSH, FAAN, examines the benefits, goals, and underlying purposes of this simulation method to foster empathy, improve patient care, and enhance therapeutic outcomes for healthcare providers.
Hearing Distressing Voices Simulation
The management and treatment of mental health conditions often depend on the healthcare professionals’ ability to understand and empathize with patients’ experiences. The Hearing DIstressing Voices Simulation approach allows both clinicians and caregivers to experience the auditory hallucinations commonly associated with schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders.
This simulation has auditory hallucinations that range from whispers to yelling into the headphones of a learner while they are trying to perform common tasks. The Hearing Distressing Voices Simulation toolkit is available for purchase for mental health professionals and first responders. The digital toolkit contains every component required to run a simulation as digital files to be downloaded.
For the mental health professional, the digital downloads include:
- Access for up to six Facilitators
- Videos from Pat Deegan:
- Introduction to the Simulation (3:57 minute)
- About Hearing Distressing Voices (18:36 minute)
- How to be helpful as Mental Health Professionals (20:55 minute)
- Presenter’s Manual
- Supplemental Manual for running a Virtual Simulation
- Workstations & Instructions
- Room Setup Diagrams
- Handouts
- Materials to help the educator advertise the Simulation
- MP3 file of the 45-minute voices simulation
For the first responders, the digital downloads include:
- Access for up to 6 Facilitators
- Videos from Pat Deegan:
- Introduction to the Simulation
- About Hearing Distressing Voices
- How to be Helpful as First Responders
- Presenter’s Manual
- Supplemental Manual for running a Virtual Simulation
- Workstations & instructions specific to first responders
- Room Setup Diagrams
- Handouts
- Materials to help the educator advertise the Simulation
- MP3 file of the 45-minute voices simulation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXKVUOD3xBA&vq=hd1080https://www.youtube.com/embed/AXKVUOD3xBA
Additional toolkit add-ons are available for purchase. These include:
- Personal Medicine for Distressing Voices – designed to be implemented with staff after they experience the simulation. This toolkit helps to prepare them with tools to directly support people who hear distressing voices. This add-on to the toolkit helps put recovery tools directly into the hands of the people who need them.
- The Personal Medicine Guide for Distressing Voices contains information about the experience of distressing voices, workbook style exercises, personal medicine cards, tracking tools, and reflection questions.
There have been multiple research studies to document the impact of Hearing Distressing Voices Simulation. Data reveals this simulation increases clinician empathy, understanding and compassion towards people with psychosis. The research was conducted with nursing, medical and pharmacy students, as well as psychiatrists. Most of the studies are pre-post, mixed methods design using valid measures including Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy, Medical Condition Regard Scale, Kerman-Chen Empathy Scale, and the Attitudes Towards Mental Illness Questionnaire.
Benefits of Hearing Voices Simulation
Enhanced Empathy and Understanding: One of the most significant benefits of hearing voices simulation is the ability to foster empathy among healthcare professionals. Experiencing the auditory hallucinations firsthand allows clinicians to gain a deeper, more nuanced understanding of the patient’s subjective experience. This empathetic insight can lead to more compassionate care and better patient-provider relationships, as professionals can better appreciate the distress and challenges faced by those with psychosis.
Improved Diagnostic and Therapeutic Skills: By simulating the auditory experiences of patients, healthcare professionals can develop more refined diagnostic and therapeutic skills. Understanding the nature and impact of hallucinations helps clinicians differentiate between various types of psychotic experiences and tailor their interventions more effectively. This enhanced diagnostic accuracy and therapeutic approach can lead to improved treatment outcomes and patient satisfaction.
Increased Awareness of Patient Perspectives: The simulation raises awareness about the diversity of patient perspectives. Not all voices or hallucinations are the same; they can vary in content, tone, and impact. Experiencing these variations through simulation helps clinicians appreciate the range of experiences reported by patients, enabling more personalized and effective treatment plans.
Facilitation of Patient-Centered Care: Hearing voices simulation supports the shift towards patient-centered care by placing the clinician in the patient’s shoes. This perspective helps professionals prioritize the patient’s experiences and needs, fostering a collaborative approach to treatment planning. Understanding the patient’s viewpoint can lead to more effective communication, greater patient engagement, and a stronger therapeutic alliance.
Goals of Hearing Voices Psychiatry Simulation
Educational Enrichment: A primary goal of this simulation is educational enrichment. By immersing participants in the auditory experiences of individuals with psychosis, the simulation provides a powerful learning experience. This method complements traditional educational approaches by offering a visceral understanding of symptoms that textbooks and lectures cannot fully convey.
Reduction of Stigma: Hearing Distressing Voices Simulation aims to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness. Experiencing hallucinations firsthand helps challenge stereotypes and misconceptions about psychosis. By promoting a more accurate and empathetic understanding of these experiences, the simulation contributes to reducing prejudice and fostering a more supportive environment for individuals with mental health conditions.
Promotion of Reflective Practice: Participants are prompted to reflect on their experiences, feelings, and reactions during and after the simulation. This reflective process helps healthcare professionals gain insight into their own biases, assumptions, and emotional responses, ultimately enhancing their self-awareness and professional growth.
Enhancement of Therapeutic Techniques: The simulation serves to enhance therapeutic techniques by providing a practical understanding of the challenges faced by patients. Clinicians can better appreciate the impact of therapeutic interventions when they understand the subjective experience of hallucinations. This knowledge can lead to more effective strategies for managing and supporting patients during their treatment journey.
Humanizing the Patient Experience with Empathy and Supportive Treatment
At the core, hearing voices simulation aims to humanize the patient experience. By stepping into the shoes of individuals experiencing auditory hallucinations, healthcare professionals can move beyond clinical abstractions and engage with the human aspects of mental health conditions. This humanization is crucial for fostering empathy and improving the quality of care.
The simulation addresses the empathy gap that often exists between patients and providers. Traditional clinical education may not fully convey the emotional and psychological impact of mental illness. Hearing voices simulation bridges this gap by providing a direct and immersive experience, thus fostering a deeper emotional connection between healthcare professionals and their patients.
Ultimately, the purpose of the Hearing Distressing Voices Simulation is to create a more supportive and responsive treatment environment. By enhancing understanding and empathy, reducing stigma, and improving therapeutic techniques, the simulation contributes to a more holistic and patient-centered approach to mental health care.
