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Philosophy, Ethics, and Humanities in... Nov 2023Schizophrenia stands as one of the most studied and storied disorders in the history of clinical psychology; however, it remains a nexus of conflicting and competing... (Review)
Review
Schizophrenia stands as one of the most studied and storied disorders in the history of clinical psychology; however, it remains a nexus of conflicting and competing conceptualizations. Patients endure great stigma, poor treatment outcomes, and condemnatory prognosis. Current conceptualizations suffer from unstable categorical borders, heterogeneity in presentation, outcome and etiology, and holes in etiological models. Taken in aggregate, research and clinical experience indicate that the class of psychopathologies oriented toward schizophrenia are best understood as spectra of phenomenological, cognitive, and behavioral modalities. These apparently taxonomic expressions are rooted in normal human personality traits as described in both psychodynamic and Five Factor personality models, and more accurately represent explicable distress reactions to biopsychosocial stress and trauma. Current categorical approaches are internally hampered by axiomatic bias and systemic inertia rooted in the foundational history of psychological inquiry; however, when such axioms are schematically decentralized, convergent cross-disciplinary evidence outlines a more robust explanatory construct. By reconceptualizing these disorders under a dimensional and cybernetic model, the aforementioned issues of instability and inaccuracy may be resolved, while simultaneously opening avenues for both early detection and intervention, as well as for more targeted and effective treatment approaches.
Topics: Humans; Schizotypal Personality Disorder; Schizophrenia, Paranoid; Schizoid Personality Disorder; Personality; Paranoid Personality Disorder
PubMed: 37936219
DOI: 10.1186/s13010-023-00142-8 -
The International Journal of Social... Sep 2023Homeless people present high rates of psychopathology, including personality disorders. Given the link between personality disorders and attachment, and the potential... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Homeless people present high rates of psychopathology, including personality disorders. Given the link between personality disorders and attachment, and the potential importance of these two traits for understanding homeless populations.
AIMS
Our aim was to review all studies focusing on attachment and on the full assessment of personality disorders in the homeless.
METHOD
Overall, 213 studies were screened through title and abstract. Of these, 63 articles were chosen for full-text assessment.
RESULTS
A total of 14 articles met eligibility criteria and were included in the present review. Six studies evaluated personality disorders and eight studies assessed attachment in the homeless. In general, reports suggested that personality disorders are highly common in the homeless, with frequencies ranging between 64% and 79% for any personality disorder. The most common personality diagnoses were paranoid (14%-74%), borderline (6%-62%), avoidant (14%-63%), and antisocial (4%-57%) personality disorders. Attachment reports differed in the methods used and presented diverse results and correlates. Even so, insecure types of attachment dominated in the homeless, accounting for 62% to 100% of the samples.
CONCLUSIONS
The high prevalence of personality disorders and insecure types of attachment in the homeless may impact intervention strategies for these people. The available literature evaluating attachment and the full assessment of personality disorders in the homeless is scarce, which supports the need for more research on these two topics.
Topics: Humans; Personality Disorders; Psychopathology; Ill-Housed Persons; Prevalence; Personality; Borderline Personality Disorder
PubMed: 36951386
DOI: 10.1177/00207640231161201 -
Scientific Reports Dec 2023Although mostly considered distinct, conspiracy mentality and paranoia share conceptual similarities (e.g., persecutory content, resistance to disconfirming evidence)....
Although mostly considered distinct, conspiracy mentality and paranoia share conceptual similarities (e.g., persecutory content, resistance to disconfirming evidence). Using self-report data from a large and multinational online sample (N = 2510; from the UK, the US, Hong Kong, Germany, and Australia), we examined whether paranoia and conspiracy mentality represent distinct latent constructs in exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Utilising network analysis, we then explored common and unique correlates of paranoia and conspiracy mentality while accounting for their shared variance. Across sites, paranoia and conspiracy mentality presented distinct, yet weakly correlated (r = 0.26), constructs. Both were associated with past traumatic experiences, holding negative beliefs about the self and other people, sleep problems, and a tendency to worry. However, paranoia was related to increased negative affect (i.e., anxiety) and decreased social support, whereas the opposite pattern was observed for conspiracy mentality (i.e., decreased anxiety and depression, increased social support). Paranoia and conspiracy mentality are related but not the same constructs. Their similar and distinct correlates point to common and unique risk factors and underlying mechanisms.
Topics: Humans; Paranoid Disorders; Anxiety; Anxiety Disorders; Self Report; Interpersonal Relations
PubMed: 38123615
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-47923-x -
BMJ Mental Health Nov 2023Paranoia-incorrectly thinking that others are deliberating trying to harm you-causes distress, undermines social interactions and leads to withdrawal. It presents across...
BACKGROUND
Paranoia-incorrectly thinking that others are deliberating trying to harm you-causes distress, undermines social interactions and leads to withdrawal. It presents across multiple psychiatric diagnoses.
OBJECTIVE
The primary aim was to determine the extent that cognitive and social processes may explain paranoia. The secondary aim was to identify explanatory factors that distinguished paranoia and social anxiety.
METHODS
10 382 UK adults, quota sampled to match the population for age, gender, ethnicity, income and region, participated in a non-probability survey. All participants completed a paranoia measure and assessments of cognitive and social processes. Structural equation modelling was conducted.
FINDINGS
2586 (24.9%) participants described being mistrustful of other people. 1756 (16.9%) participants wanted help to trust more. 66.7% of variance in paranoia was explained by a model comprising (in descending order of importance): within-situation defence behaviours, negative images, negative self-beliefs, discrimination, dissociation, aberrant salience, anxiety sensitivity, agoraphobic distress, worry, less social support, agoraphobic avoidance, less analytical reasoning and alcohol use. All explanatory factors were associated with paranoia and social anxiety. Ten factors were more closely associated with paranoia than social anxiety, including discrimination, hallucinations, negative images, aberrant salience and alcohol use. Nine factors were more closely associated with social anxiety, including less positive self-belief, an external locus of control, worry and less analytical reasoning.
CONCLUSIONS
Multiple causes are likely to be involved in paranoia. Cognitive and social processes may explain a high degree of paranoia.
CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS
Multiple clear targets for intervention to reduce paranoia are identified.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Paranoid Disorders; Anxiety; Anxiety Disorders; Fear; Cognition
PubMed: 37945313
DOI: 10.1136/bmjment-2023-300880