Self-affirmation and nonclinical paranoia

Background and ObjectivesThis experiment examined whether reflecting on a core value—value-affirmation—was effective in attenuating state paranoia in students.MethodsUniversity students (N = 55) were randomised to either a value-affirmation or non-affirmation control condition before exposure to a paranoia-induction manipulation (high self-awareness plus failure feedback). Paranoid cognitions were measured before (T1) and after (T2) the value-affirmation task and after the paranoia-induction task (T3). Depressive cognitions were also measured at T3.ResultsAffirming a valued domain had a direct and significant effect on reducing state paranoia prior to the paranoia-induction task (T2), such that the overall impact of the paranoia-induction on state paranoia was not significantly different from baseline. This effect was not attributable to differential changes in depression across groups.LimitationsUse of a nonclinical sample limits generalisation to clinical groups. Repeat testing of key variables is a limitation, although this was necessary to assess change over time, and use of randomisation increased the internal validity of the study.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that self-affirmation is effective in reducing state paranoia in a nonclinical sample

Naturalistic Change in Nonclinical Paranoid Experiences

Background: Numerous studies have shown that paranoia is common in the nonclinical population; however, little research has examined whether nonclinical paranoid beliefs change over time, or considered potential reasons for change. Aims: The aim of the present study was therefore to examine naturalistic change in nonclinical paranoid experiences. Method: 60 participants described an idiosyncratic experience of paranoia, including when it occurred, and rated their experience along four key belief dimensions: preoccupation, impact, distress and conviction. Participants provided two ratings for each dimension, retrospective recall at the time of the occurrence of the paranoid event, and again at the time of the interview. Participants were also asked to provide qualitative descriptions of reasons for change in belief dimensions. Results: Participants described paranoid experiences that had occurred over a large timeframe (1 day-25 years). Reductions across all four belief dimensions were found, and seven key themes emerged following qualitative analysis of the participants’ reason for change in response to the paranoid event. Conclusions: The findings highlight a number of factors associated with reported naturalistic changes in belief dimensions of conviction, distress, preoccupation and impact, which might be useful in enhancing interventions for clinical and nonclinical paranoia, and in helping to build models to account for why people showing clear paranoid ideation do, or do not, go on to develop clinical paranoia

Anger and Paranoia in Mentally Disordered Offenders

Previous studies have identified a positive relationship between aggression and paranoia, yet the relationship between the emotion of anger and paranoia in forensic populations has not been examined. Possible confounding variables, such as social desirability and mood, should also be considered. Sixty-six participants who had a violent conviction and mental disorder completed self-report questionnaires that measured anger, paranoid ideation, socially desirable responding, anxiety, and depression. The findings indicated that increased anger was associated with increased paranoia. Partial correlations showed that anger remained significantly associated with paranoia after socially desirable responding, anxiety, depression, gender, and violence history were controlled, suggesting anger and paranoia were not associated due to indirect relationships with these constructs. This could suggest that integrative psychological interventions that consider experiences of both anger and paranoia may be beneficial with forensic populations

Schizophrenia and Increased Distrust-Based Competitiveness in Interpersonal Interactions:A Serial Process Model

Background and HypothesisGame theory paradigms, such as the Prisoner’s Dilemma Game (PDG), have been used to study nonclinical paranoia, though research using clinical populations has been scarce. We test our novel theoretical model that schizophrenia leads to competitiveness in interpersonal interactions, and that this link is serially mediated by trait paranoia, state paranoia, and distrust. Study DesignIn this quasi-experimental study, individuals with schizophrenia spectrum diagnoses with current persecutory delusions (n = 46) and a nonclinical control group (n = 43) played the PDG, and completed measures of trait paranoia, state paranoia, and distrust.Study ResultsIndividuals with schizophrenia competed more in the PDG than the control group. Supporting our theoretical model, all direct effects were significant: schizophrenia was associated with higher trait paranoia (H1); trait paranoia predicted state paranoia in the PDG (H2); state paranoia in the PDG predicted distrust of the opponent in the PDG (H3); and distrust predicted competition in the PDG (H4). The hypothesized indirect effect of schizophrenia on competition in the PDG via trait paranoia, state paranoia, and distrust was supported in a serial mediation model (H5).ConclusionsThe findings make clear theoretical and methodological contributions. We provide the first evidence for a theoretical process model by which schizophrenia leads to competitiveness in interpersonal interactions via trait paranoia, state paranoia, and distrust. Game theory paradigms, and the PDG in particular, are important for advancing theory and research on paranoia as it occurs in both clinical and nonclinical populations. <br/

Immediate and short term effects of values-based interventions on paranoia

Background and objectivesParanoia is a common, distressing, and persistent experience that can negatively impact on health, wellbeing, and functioning. This study examined the immediate and short term (2-weeks) effects of two values-based interventions, versus a non-values control, on paranoia, as well as the moderating effect of self-esteem.Methods171 non-clinical adults were randomised to a value-affirmation and goals task (VAG: clarifying and reflecting on core values and setting value-based goals) (n = 57), a value-affirmation task (VA: clarifying and reflecting on core values without setting value-based goals) (n = 57), or a non-affirmation control task (NAC) (n = 57). Paranoia was assessed at baseline (T1), post-intervention (T2), and two weeks post-intervention (T3). Self-esteem was measured at baseline.ResultsVAG participants had significantly lower state paranoia scores at T3 than VA (d = .34) and NAC (d = .31) participants. This effect was moderated by trait self-esteem: At follow-up, the differential effect of condition on state paranoia was greatest amongst those with low self-esteem, with the VAG condition being most beneficial for participants with low self-esteem and the VA condition being least beneficial.LimitationsWithout a goals only control group it is possible that the benefits of VAG over VA were attributable to setting and achieving goals. Use of a nonclinical sample limits generalisability to clinical groups.ConclusionsThe findings suggest that focusing on a deeply held value and setting goals in line with that value reduced paranoia. This intervention may be most beneficial for individuals with low self-esteem

Resilience, recovery style, and stress in early psychosis

Aim: To investigate relationships between stress, resilience, recovery style, and persecutory delusions in early psychosis.Methods: Thirty-nine participants completed questionnaires in a cross-sectional design.Results: Higher stress, lower resilience, and a sealing-over recovery style predicted higher delusional severity and accounted for 31% of the variance in delusion severity.Conclusions: Enhancing stress-coping strategies, building resilience, and facilitating an integrative recovery style may be helpful intervention targets for reducing the severity of persecutory delusions in patients with early psychosis

Measuring Paranoid Beliefs in Adolescents:A Comparison of the Revised-Green et al.’s Paranoid Thoughts Scale (R-GPTS) and the Bird Checklist of Adolescent Paranoia (B-CAP)

Research on paranoid beliefs in adolescents is in its infancy. Valid and reliable assessments are essential to advancing the field, yet there is no current consensus as to which are optimal to use in this population. This study compared the psychometric properties of two measures of paranoia in a general population adolescent sample. A cross-sectional study with quota sampling (gender and age) recruited adolescents (14-17 years) from the UK (n=262) and USA (n=200), who completed the Revised Green et al. Paranoid Thoughts Scale (R-GPTS) and the Bird Checklist for Adolescent Paranoia (B-CAP). We assessed factor structures, intercorrelations, overlap of participants identified as at-risk for paranoid thoughts via both scales, convergent validity (scales with one another) and discriminant validity (distress, wellbeing, bullying and discrimination). Both scales performed equally well in terms of factorial validity. Intercorrelations between the subscales and with general distress were high for both measures. However, a substantial percentage of participants were identified as having paranoid beliefs according to the R-GPTS but not the B-CAP. Furthermore, the B-CAP showed a very high correlations (0.69≤r≤0.79) with self-reported bullying experiences, which bordered on multicollinearity. Findings highlight the possibility that B-CAP may risk confounding paranoid beliefs with exposure to bullying more so than R-GPTS, and that B-CAP may miss instances of elevated paranoia that are captured by the R-GPTS. Future research needs to further explore this by validating both scales with an external (e.g., interview-based) criterion for paranoia

Cross-cultural validation of the Revised Green et al., Paranoid Thoughts Scale

Background. With efforts increasing worldwide to understand and treat paranoia, there is a pressing need for culturally valid assessments of paranoid beliefs. The recently developed Revised Green et al. Paranoid Thoughts Scale (R-GPTS) constitutes an easy to administer self-report assessment of mild ideas of reference and more severe persecutory thoughts. Moreover, it comes with clinical cut-offs for increased usability in research and clinical practice. With multiple translations of the R-GPTS already available and in use, a formal test of its measurement invariance is now needed.Methods. Using data from a multinational cross-sectional online survey in the UK, USA, Australia, Germany, and Hong Kong (N=2510), we performed confirmatory factory analyses on the R-GPTS and tested for measurement invariance across sites.Results. We found sufficient fit for the two-factor structure (ideas of reference, persecutory thoughts) of the R-GPTS across cultures. Measurement invariance was found for the persecutory thoughts subscale, indicating that it does measure the same construct across the tested samples in the same way. For ideas of reference, we found no scalar invariance, which was traced back to (mostly higher) item intercepts in the Hong Kong sample.Conclusion. We found sufficient invariance for the persecutory thoughts scale, which is of substantial practical importance, as it is used for the screening of clinical paranoia. A direct comparison of the ideas of reference sum-scores between cultures, however, may lead to an over-estimation of these milder forms of paranoia in some (non-western) cultures