What Do We Know About the Correlates and Underlying Causes of Auditory Hallucinations in Nonpsychotic Children and Adolescents, and What Are the Implications for Diagnosis and Treatment?

Abstract

The case study of “Kate” (Shapiro, Bussing, & Nguyen, 2014) provides us with further clinical information in an intriguing and evolving area in mental health; that of auditory hallucinations in nonpsychotic children and adolescents.  While there is increasing acceptance that such hallucinations are not an automatic diagnostic marker of psychosis, or that psychosis is an inevitable outcome, there is still much to be learned about this phenomenon.  This commentary will provide an overview of what is known about the correlates and possible underlying mechanisms generating auditory hallucinations in populations of nonpsychotic children and adolescents.  In addition, Kate's case study raises interesting implications for diagnosis and intervention strategies, not only for children/adolescents experiencing auditory hallucinations, but for the wider area of child and adolescent mental health.