What does the research say?

In 2017, the results of a randomised controlled trial into Avatar therapy, led by Tom Craig and colleagues at the King’s College Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, were published in The Lancet Psychiatry.

The study involved 150 people with regular distressing voice-hearing experiences and a diagnosis of schizophrenia. Of these, 75 received the AVATAR therapy, and the other 75 received a form of supportive counselling specifically designed for the trial. All participants continued with their regular anti-psychotic medication during the trial.

After 12 weeks:

• The AVATAR therapy group’s voices were rated as less frequent, less distressing, and less powerful than those in the counselling group.
• 7 people who received AVATAR therapy (compared to 2 in the counselling group) reported that their voices had completely disappeared.

However, after 24 weeks, voices in the counselling group had also become less frequent and distressing and there appeared to be no difference in outcomes between the two groups. (In fact, the progress made by the Avatar group had plateaued.) This suggests that over the six-month period the Avatar Therapy and the supportive counselling were equally effective.

A more detailed discussion of the AVATAR therapy trial, including its strengths and limitations, can be found here and here.