Am J Psychiatry 1990; 147:1304-1307
Copyright © 1990 by American Psychiatric Association
The clinical presentation of command hallucinations in a forensic population
R Rogers, JR Gillis, RE Turner and T Frise-Smith
Clarke Institute of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Ont., Canada.
In a forensic population, patients with command hallucinations (N = 25)
were compared to two groups of psychotic patients: those with noncommand
hallucinations (N = 24) and those without hallucinations (N = 16). The
three groups did not differ in overall impairment as measured by the Global
Assessment Scale and the Social Behavior Rating Schedule. However, the
group with command hallucinations differed in the content of their
hallucinations (more aggression, dependency, and self-punishment themes),
and nearly one-half did not report or denied their command hallucinations
to the assessment team. Many patients (N = 11, 44%) reported that they
frequently responded to hallucinatory commands with unquestioning
obedience.
