The study found that, for most children experiencing voices, the “auditory hallucinations” stop as they get older.
But researchers found that those who continue to hear voices may be at risk of more complex mental illnesses.
Nearly 2,500 children aged between 11 and 16 years old were assessed in four separate studies.
Between 21 and 23 per cent of younger adolescents (aged 11-13 years) were found to have experienced auditory hallucinations.
Just more than half (57 per cent) of the younger adolescents who heard voices were found to have a psychiatric disorder following clinical assessment.
In older adolescents (aged 13-16 years), just seven per cent reported hearing voices. However, nearly 80 per cent of the older adolescents who heard voices were found to have a psychiatric disorder.
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