A Feasibility Study of a Psychoeducational Workshop for the Parents of Young People Who Hear Voices

Whilst amongst young people hearing voices is a relatively common and often transient experience, it can be distressing. Recent research identifies that many
parents lack confidence around supporting young people who are distressed by voices and that parents would like support. Currently there are no interventions which have been developed to support parents. The primary aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility and acceptability of an online workshop for these parents. Feasibility was assessed through recruitment, retention, and workshop facilitator adherence rates, and number of full data sets provided by participants. Acceptability was assessed using a participant satisfaction questionnaire. Secondary outcomes included selfefficacy, attitudes and beliefs towards voice hearing and voice hearing knowledge, assessed at pre-, post-workshop, and 4-week follow-up. Twenty-one parents of young voice hearers were recruited from an NHS community voice hearing clinic to five workshops. Forty-eight percent of participants were retained at follow-up and offered full data sets , and facilitator adherence to the workshop structure was 100%. The workshop was acceptable to most participants, with learning alongside other parents and knowledgeable facilitators considered important by participants. Participants also made suggestions for the workshop to be delivered in person, in school settings and for it to include the young person, wider family, and friends. Findings suggested that the workshop increased parental self-efficacy to provide useful information about voice hearing. However, as the study did not meet targets for recruitment and retention of participants, and due to the small sample size and high rates of missing data, further research is needed to refine the workshop and further explore the benefits of the workshop.