[9][10][11] The movement thus challenges the medical model of mental illness, specifically the validity of the schizophrenia construct.
[58] Romme theorizes a three phase model of recovery:[30] The Hearing Voices Movement disavows the medical model of disability and disapproves of the practises of mental health services through much of the Western world, such as treatment solely with medication.
[60][61][62][63][64] Slade and Bentall conclude that the failure to attend to hallucinatory experiences and/or have the opportunity for dialogue about them is likely to have the effect of helping to maintain them.
[66] They argue that the Western World has moved the experience of hearing voices from a socially valued context to a pathologised and denigrated one.
Foucault has argued that this process can generally arise when a minority perspective is at odds with dominant social norms and beliefs.
It is supported by people who hear voices, relatives, friends and mental health professionals including therapists, social workers, nurses, psychiatrists and psychologists.
The meeting decided to create a formal organizational structure to provide administrative and coordinating support to the wide variety of initiatives in the different involved countries.
[citation needed] The organisation is structured as a network and was incorporated in 2007 as a non-profit company and charity under UK law.
The president is Marius Romme and the governing body is made up of people who hear voices and mental health practitioners.
Previous conferences have been held in Maastricht, Netherlands, (2009); Nottingham, England (2010), Savona, Italy (2011), Cardiff, Wales (2012); Melbourne, Australia (2013); Thessaloniki, Greece (2014); Madrid, Spain (2015).
[81] Specific criticisms of the hearing voices approach include:[citation needed] A study investigating media reports of the experience of hearing voices found that 84% of the articles in the study contained no suggestion that voice-hearing can be ‘normal’.