Background Childhoodhallucinations

of voices occur in a varietyof contexts and have variable long-termoutcomes. Aim To study the course of experience of voices sequentiallyover a 3-year period inthosewith andthosewithout a need for mentalhealth care (patient status). Method In a group of 80 children of mean age12.9 years (s.d.3.1), of which around 50%were not receivingmental health care, baselinemeasurementof voice characteristics, voice attributions, psychopathology, stressful life events, copingmechanisms andreceiptof professional carewere used to predict 3-year course andpatient status. Results Therate of voice discontinuation over the 3-year period was 60%.Patient statuswas associated withmore perceived influence on behaviour and feelings andmorenegative affective appraisalsinrelationtothevoices. Predictors of persistence of voiceswere severity and frequencyofthe voices, associated anxiety/depression and lackof clear triggers intime andplace. Conclusions Need forcare inthe contextof experience of voices is associatedwith appraisal of the voices in terms of intrusiveness and‘omnipotence’. Persistence of voices is related tovoice appraisals, suggesting thatexperience of voices bychildren should be the targetof specific interventions. Declaration of interest None. Supportedby theDutch Prevention Fund. Hallucinations of hearing voices by children and adolescents can occur in the context of a variety of psychiatric states, such as schizo