Auditory hallucinations in adolescent and adult students: implications for continuums and adult pathology following child abuse.

An auditory hallucination questionnaire was completed by 250 adolescents and 250 adults in the UK to provide data concerning their hallucinatory experiences, which enabled a consideration of nonclinical population auditory hallucination experiences. The data gathered from the adolescent group were almost identical to that of the adult group, suggesting a continuum between child and adulthood. The data also indicated that the UK adult sample was very similar to an established US sample of adults. The current data was combined with previously published data to construct a proposed developmental model that may link child abuse to pathological hallucinations and possible later mental illness issues. New normative data concerning hallucinatory experiences provide important norms, which need to be considered for adolescents or young adults who may be considered for early intervention in psychosis programs. These new norms provide information that should be considered in a variety of therapeutic settings.