Are people's metacognitive beliefs associated with the thematic content of their visual hallucinations in first-episode psychosis: An interpretative phenomenological analysis

Introduction: Research furthering the detailed understanding of visual hallucinations and their psychological mechanisms within the context of first-episode psychosis is limited to a small number of studies. The aim of this study was to explore the metacognitive experiences of those who see visual hallucinations and explore whether they are associated with the thematic content of the vision. Method: Five participants with experiences of visual hallucinations within the context of a first-episode psychosis were recruited via their Early Intervention team. Semi-structured interviews were completed with each participant. In line with the exploratory nature of the study, Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was the adopted approach in which to explore data (Smith et al., 2009). Analysis: Three superordinate themes were identified: ‘place within the world’; ‘self-disturbance’ and ‘personal agency’. Participants related their experiences to a journey and this was interwoven within each theme. Discussion: The results from this study highlight that metacognitive beliefs may be closely associated with the content of hallucinations and therefore can impact upon one’s experience of first-episode psychosis, suggesting that metacognition in relation to visual hallucinations is not fixed, but changeable, developing, and concerned with sense-making