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5. USING INTERPRETATIVE PHENOMENOLOGICAL ANALYSIS = 67 and dissatisfied with these service providers. Hearers recounted more positive accounts about having the opportunity to meet with a group of people with similar problems (e.g. self-help groups and communities). In summary, the hearers (and parents of younger hearers) expected more holistic services from psychiatric institutions (e.g. groups for voice hearers, destigmatisation programmes, family and inter-personal support groups). The aim of this study was to explore the lived experiences of voice hearing individuals by applying the IPA method to examine the ways in which participants make sense of their voices, as was previously explored by several existing IPA studies (Chin et al., 2009; de Wet, Swartz, & Chiliza, 2014; Holt & Tickle, 2015). 5.2. METHODS 5.2.1. Participants Based on IPA methodology (Smith et al., 2009), a purposive sample was recruited. The research participants were from the Semmelweis University Community Psychiatry Centre Awakenings Foundation voice hearers’ self-help group. Seven female and four male participants aged 31-57 years were selected by personal contact of the interviewer or by recommendation of the treatment team or staff psychiatrist. The criteria for participating were having both a diagnosed mental health problem and a personal experience of recovery. The exclusion criterion was the presence of acute symptoms. Ethical approval was obtained from the Hungarian Medical Research Council Scientific and Research Committee. 5.2.2. Data collection The study interviews were conducted in a psychiatric institution where the recovery approach is used. The institution includes an outpatient service and a daytime care unit. Treatment is based on community psychiatry (Falloon et al., 2006; Harangozó, Gordos, & Bodrogi, 2006), in which a recovery approach is used. This includes self-help groups for voice hearers, persons with bipolar disorder, trauma survivors, and alcohol or drug addicts. The voice hearing group is self-organised based on the Mérey (2013) self-help books for voice hearers. The sessions of the self-help group of voice hearers are held every second week of the month. The group works with two professional experts (one psychiatrist and one expert of voice hearing) and two experts by experience. The sessions last for 2hours. Participants share their experiences about voice hearing and
