Non-psychotic auditory hallucinations in children and adolescents

Non-psychotic auditory hallucinations are described in children and adolescents in association with a range of psychopathological and social circumstances, including disorders of emotions and conduct, abuse and family dysfunction. A variety of phenomena and aetiological factors have been identified in scientific literature to explain the existence of non-psychotic auditory hallucinations. We present a series of twelve cases where auditory hallucinations were prominent. The objective of the discussion is to draw attention to the range of presentations, the influence of underlying psychosocial factors in symptom formation, the inadequacies of the main diagnostic classifications, the importance of diagnostic accuracy, the level of clinical skills required and the cultural factors influencing clinical presentation.