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Current Opinion in Psychology Oct 2022Paranoia and conspiracy thinking share many risk factors, such as victimization, poverty and social isolation. They also have many phenomenological features in common,... (Review)
Review
Paranoia and conspiracy thinking share many risk factors, such as victimization, poverty and social isolation. They also have many phenomenological features in common, including heightened tendency to attribute negative outcomes to malevolent agents and idiosyncratic pattern detection. Nevertheless, paranoia and conspiracy thinking also differ in key respects. Specifically, paranoid thoughts tend to be held in isolation and involve perceptions of harm to the self. Conspiracy beliefs, on the other hand, are shared by others and involve the perception of collective rather than personal harm. We discuss the similarities and differences between paranoia and conspiracy thinking and outline fruitful avenues for future research.
Topics: Bullying; Crime Victims; Humans; Paranoid Disorders
PubMed: 35767934
DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2022.101362 -
The Lancet. Psychiatry Oct 2017Sleep difficulties might be a contributory causal factor in the occurrence of mental health problems. If this is true, improving sleep should benefit psychological... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study Randomized Controlled Trial
BACKGROUND
Sleep difficulties might be a contributory causal factor in the occurrence of mental health problems. If this is true, improving sleep should benefit psychological health. We aimed to determine whether treating insomnia leads to a reduction in paranoia and hallucinations.
METHODS
We did this single-blind, randomised controlled trial (OASIS) at 26 UK universities. University students with insomnia were randomly assigned (1:1) with simple randomisation to receive digital cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for insomnia or usual care, and the research team were masked to the treatment. Online assessments took place at weeks 0, 3, 10 (end of therapy), and 22. The primary outcome measures were for insomnia, paranoia, and hallucinatory experiences. We did intention-to-treat analyses. The trial is registered with the ISRCTN registry, number ISRCTN61272251.
FINDINGS
Between March 5, 2015, and Feb 17, 2016, we randomly assigned 3755 participants to receive digital CBT for insomnia (n=1891) or usual practice (n=1864). Compared with usual practice, the sleep intervention at 10 weeks reduced insomnia (adjusted difference 4·78, 95% CI 4·29 to 5·26, Cohen's d=1·11; p<0·0001), paranoia (-2·22, -2·98 to -1·45, Cohen's d=0·19; p<0·0001), and hallucinations (-1·58, -1·98 to -1·18, Cohen's d=0·24; p<0·0001). Insomnia was a mediator of change in paranoia and hallucinations. No adverse events were reported.
INTERPRETATION
To our knowledge, this is the largest randomised controlled trial of a psychological intervention for a mental health problem. It provides strong evidence that insomnia is a causal factor in the occurrence of psychotic experiences and other mental health problems. Whether the results generalise beyond a student population requires testing. The treatment of disrupted sleep might require a higher priority in mental health provision.
FUNDING
Wellcome Trust.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; Female; Hallucinations; Humans; Male; Mental Health; Paranoid Disorders; Sleep; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders; Students; Treatment Outcome; United Kingdom; Young Adult
PubMed: 28888927
DOI: 10.1016/S2215-0366(17)30328-0 -
Frontiers of Neurology and Neuroscience 2018Cotard's syndrome is often described as the delusional belief that one is dead or non-existent. However, Jules Cotard's initial description (1880) of the "delusion of... (Review)
Review
Cotard's syndrome is often described as the delusional belief that one is dead or non-existent. However, Jules Cotard's initial description (1880) of the "delusion of negations" was much richer and also involved delusions and claims of immortality and enormity, feelings of damnation, and illusions of bodily dissolution and transformation. Alternatively conceived as an extreme case of depression, hypochondria, or psychosis, the condition is considered rare and remains poorly understood. Cotard himself provided a taxonomy and several explanations for the condition, focusing on its distinction from classical persecutory delusions and suggesting that it could be a kind of reversed grandiosity. He proposed a psychosensory basis in the dissolution of mental imagery, which he then extended to a more general psychomotor impairment of volition. Other early authors highlighted a disorder of the bodily self, and more recent theories postulated an impairment of right hemispheric functions, leading to perceptual and somatosensory feelings of unreality, which coupled with reasoning impairments and an internalized attributional style led in turn to beliefs of non-existence. However, despite its striking presentation and its relevance to our understanding of self-awareness, Cotard's syndrome remains an elusive condition, rarely reported and poorly researched.
Topics: Awareness; Delusions; Humans; Paranoid Disorders; Perceptual Disorders
PubMed: 29151088
DOI: 10.1159/000475679 -
PLoS Computational Biology Oct 2021Self-deception, paranoia, and overconfidence involve misbeliefs about the self, others, and world. They are often considered mistaken. Here we explore whether they might...
Self-deception, paranoia, and overconfidence involve misbeliefs about the self, others, and world. They are often considered mistaken. Here we explore whether they might be adaptive, and further, whether they might be explicable in Bayesian terms. We administered a difficult perceptual judgment task with and without social influence (suggestions from a cooperating or competing partner). Crucially, the social influence was uninformative. We found that participants heeded the suggestions most under the most uncertain conditions and that they did so with high confidence, particularly if they were more paranoid. Model fitting to participant behavior revealed that their prior beliefs changed depending on whether the partner was a collaborator or competitor, however, those beliefs did not differ as a function of paranoia. Instead, paranoia, self-deception, and overconfidence were associated with participants' perceived instability of their own performance. These data are consistent with the idea that self-deception, paranoia, and overconfidence flourish under uncertainty, and have their roots in low self-esteem, rather than excessive social concern. The model suggests that spurious beliefs can have value-self-deception is irrational yet can facilitate optimal behavior. This occurs even at the expense of monetary rewards, perhaps explaining why self-deception and paranoia contribute to costly decisions which can spark financial crashes and devastating wars.
Topics: Bayes Theorem; Computational Biology; Deception; Decision Making; Humans; Models, Psychological; Paranoid Disorders; Reward; Self Concept; Uncertainty
PubMed: 34618805
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009453 -
The Journal of Analytical Psychology Apr 2024In his book Aion, Jung describes something like a quasi-Hegelian progressive historical realization of the Self in a perspective similar to Fernand Braudel's longue...
In his book Aion, Jung describes something like a quasi-Hegelian progressive historical realization of the Self in a perspective similar to Fernand Braudel's longue durée history. This article deals with a similar perspective, as it tries to focus on what we may call a "cultural complex" yet within its unfolding in historical time and belonging not to just one specific cultural group, but to a large cultural basin, which we may indicate as the "West". This complex marks the birth and development of modernity. The depth, pervasiveness and duration of this cultural complex permeates the lives and psychologies of all of those that are part of it. Therefore, every analytical project must take into account the underlying emotional, epistemic and social field within which this complex constellates. One of the main features of this (trans)cultural complex, strictly connected with the progressive fragmentation of the self and the transformation of the numinosum with its meaning-giving force, is paranoia. This article analyses the historical and cultural features that produce paranoia and fragmentation and determine paranoid symptoms and attitudes.
Topics: Humans; Paranoid Disorders; Emotions
PubMed: 38500344
DOI: 10.1111/1468-5922.12986 -
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology Sep 2020COVID-19 pandemic has affected the world from every aspect. Individuals are drained from social, financial, and emotional percussion of this pandemic. Psychosocial... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
COVID-19 pandemic has affected the world from every aspect. Individuals are drained from social, financial, and emotional percussion of this pandemic. Psychosocial consequences are far greater than are being perceived. It is anticipated that once the pandemic is over the psycho-emotional turbulence would shake the whole populations of affected countries.
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
To review the psychological consequences of COVID-19 pandemic.
METHODS
A literature search was conducted on major databases from January 2020 to April 2020 with the search terms of Covid-19, Corona virus, psychological, depression, anxiety, phobias, obsessive behaviors, paranoia, parental relationship, marital life and maternal and fetal bond.
CONCLUSION
Patients with COVID-19 infection are more likely to suffer from a myriad of psychological consequences, and this infection may have profound effect on parenting, relationships, marital life, elderly, and maternal-fetal bond.
Topics: Age Factors; Anxiety; COVID-19; Depression; Female; Global Burden of Disease; Global Health; Health Personnel; Humans; Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; Male; Maternal Behavior; Maternal-Fetal Relations; Obsessive Behavior; Pandemics; Paranoid Disorders; Parenting; Phobic Disorders; Pregnancy; Risk Factors; Stress, Psychological
PubMed: 33439544
DOI: 10.1111/jocd.13601 -
Clinical Psychology Review Dec 2021Negative self and negative other schema have been implicated in the development of paranoia. The current study provides a meta-analysis, narrative review and quality... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
Negative self and negative other schema have been implicated in the development of paranoia. The current study provides a meta-analysis, narrative review and quality appraisal of quantitative studies investigating the relationship between negative self and negative other schema and paranoia across the paranoia continuum. A systematic search identified 43 eligible studies; 25 were included in the meta-analysis. Meta-analytic findings demonstrated a medium to large relationship between paranoia and negative self-schema (r = 0.46, 95% CI 0.39 to 0.53) and negative other schema (r = 0.48, 95% CI 0.38 to 0.56). The magnitude of associations was similar across people with and without psychosis. Findings demonstrated that associations between negative self-schema and paranoia were not always statistically significant when controlling for confounding variables, particularly depression. The association between negative other schema and paranoia tended to remain significant when controlling for confounding variables. Findings also demonstrated that negative schema may mediate relationships between adverse experiences in childhood and paranoia. Overall, findings support theoretical proposals that both negative self and negative other schema are associated with paranoia. Longitudinal studies are required to confirm the direction of effects. Findings provide support for incorporating and targeting negative self and negative other schema in psychological formulations and therapeutic work.
Topics: Humans; Longitudinal Studies; Paranoid Disorders; Psychotic Disorders; Self Concept
PubMed: 34564019
DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2021.102081 -
La Revue Du Praticien Sep 2023PARANOID PERSONALITY DISORDER. The paranoid personality disorder fascinates and worries health professionals, who are sometimes victims of aggressive claims from their...
PARANOID PERSONALITY DISORDER. The paranoid personality disorder fascinates and worries health professionals, who are sometimes victims of aggressive claims from their patients. Overestimation of oneself, psychorigidity, distrust and relational hyperesthesia characterize the paranoid type of personality disorder. This disorder is often associated with co-morbidities which mask it and promote decompensation towards a delusional disorder with the risk of heteroaggressive acts or towards a severe depressive disorder with suicidal risk. On the basis of regular monitoring and exhaustive assesment, management requires rigor and balance in the sharing of information, the use of psychotropic drugs or hospitalization, if necessary, in compulsory care.
Topics: Humans; Paranoid Personality Disorder; Violence; Depressive Disorder; Comorbidity
PubMed: 37796270
DOI: No ID Found -
The Lancet. Psychiatry May 2023The felt presence experience is the basic feeling that someone else is present in the immediate environment, without clear sensory evidence. Ranging from benevolent to... (Review)
Review
The felt presence experience is the basic feeling that someone else is present in the immediate environment, without clear sensory evidence. Ranging from benevolent to distressing, personified to ambiguous, felt presence has been observed in neurological case studies and within psychosis and paranoia, associated with sleep paralysis and anxiety, and recorded within endurance sports and spiritualist communities. In this Review, we summarise the philosophical, phenomenological, clinical, and non-clinical correlates of felt presence, as well as current approaches that use psychometric, cognitive, and neurophysiological methods. We present current mechanistic explanations for felt presence, suggest a unifying cognitive framework for the phenomenon, and discuss outstanding questions for the field. Felt presence offers a sublime opportunity to understand the cognitive neuroscience of own-body awareness and social agency detection, as an intuitive, but poorly understood, experience in health and disorder.
Topics: Humans; Psychotic Disorders; Emotions; Cognition; Paranoid Disorders; Awareness
PubMed: 36990104
DOI: 10.1016/S2215-0366(23)00034-2 -
The British Journal of Clinical... Nov 2022This study aimed to investigate associations between proximity seeking, stress and paranoia in the context of daily life, and whether these relationships are moderated...
OBJECTIVES
This study aimed to investigate associations between proximity seeking, stress and paranoia in the context of daily life, and whether these relationships are moderated by trait attachment styles.
METHODS
Sixty non-clinical participants completed 3423 assessments of state stress, proximity seeking and paranoia over a 6-day period using an experience sampling method. Multilevel linear regression was performed to evaluate relationships between variables.
RESULTS
The post-hoc analysis showed antecedent events subjectively appraised as very unpleasant or very pleasant predicted greater levels of momentary proximity seeking at the subsequent timepoint. Greater stress predicted greater subsequent shifts or variability in proximity seeking. Changes in proximity seeking were not associated with momentary paranoia. However, for individuals with an avoidant attachment style, greater shifts in proximity seeking resulted in greater subsequent reports of paranoia.
CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that, in daily life, the attachment system may become active in response to stress. For those with an avoidant attachment style, an active attachment system may exacerbate paranoid thoughts possibly due to the activation of attachment-related beliefs that one should be fearful of unavailable others and instead rely on one's autonomy to regulate affect. These findings highlight the need to consider attachment in the assessment and formulation of paranoia.
Topics: Ecological Momentary Assessment; Emotions; Humans; Paranoid Disorders
PubMed: 35570710
DOI: 10.1111/bjc.12372