Effects of the Attention Training Technique on Auditory Hallucinations in Schizo-Affective Disorder: A Single Case Study

A 41-year-old female with schizo-affective disorder presenting with an eight-year history of auditory hallucinations participatedin a single case treatment study (A-B-A-B-A-C-B) of the effects of the Attention Training Technique (ATT). No antipsychoticmedication was prescribed in this case following a serious adverse reaction in the past. The aim of the study was to test the impactof ATT on the frequency and duration of hallucinations using a repeated return to baseline followed by an alternating treatmentdesign. The alternative intervention consisted of autogenic relaxation instructions. The patient monitored the frequency, duration,and her distress over the voices on a daily basis during baseline and intervention phases across a study period of 80 weeks. Visualanalysis of the data showed that ATT when introduced at three phases following baselines or control conditions was associated witha reduction in auditory hallucination frequency and duration compared to the other phases. This contrasted with the autogenicrelaxation intervention that was associated with an increase in duration and frequency of voices. The perceived benefits of ATTwere maintained for varying periods of time