Testing the continuum of delusional beliefs: An experimental study using virtual reality.

Abstract

A key problem in studying a hypothesized spectrum of severity of delusional ideation is determining that ideas are unfounded. The first objective was to use virtual reality to validate groups of individuals with low, moderate, and high levels of unfounded persecutory ideation. The second objective was to investigate, drawing upon a cognitive model of persecutory delusions, whether clinical and nonclinical paranoia are associated with similar causal factors. Three groups (low paranoia, high nonclinical paranoia, persecutory delusions) of 30 participants were recruited. Levels of paranoia were tested using virtual reality. The groups were compared on assessments of anxiety, worry, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anomalous perceptual experiences, reasoning, and history of traumatic events. Virtual reality was found to cause no side effects. Persecutory ideation in virtual reality significantly differed across the groups. For the clear majority of the theoretical factors there were dose–response relationships with levels of paranoia. This is consistent with the idea of a spectrum of paranoia in the general population. Persecutory ideation is clearly present outside of clinical groups and there is consistency across the paranoia spectrum in associations with important theoretical variables.

Cognitive factors maintaining persecutory delusions in psychosis: The contribution of depression.

“…High levels of depression in participants predicted paranoid responses to neutral environments . Furthermore, when groups with no paranoia, sub-clinically high paranoia and clinical delusions were compared, depression scores rose with paranoia across the three participant groups in a dose response manner (Freeman, Pugh, Vorontsova, Antley, & Slater, 2010). Those who were more depressed reported more paranoid thoughts, at all levels of severity and independently of clinical status.…”

“…In order to examine the phenomenology of this paranoia in greater detail than is feasible in epidemiological research, Freeman et al (2010) used a virtual reality simulation which would present exactly the same environment to three sets of participants, whose reported paranoid thoughts could then be compared:…”

“…Of the nine depressed people recruited who came into contact with the study through the non-clinical recruitment route, five had been re-contacted after participating in other research Freeman, Pugh, Vorontsova, & Southgate, 2009;Freeman et al, 2010), and four had responded to posters seen around the local community. The advertisement asked for people with no history of mental health problems, and individuals were not sure whether the levels of difficulty that they experienced would disqualify them from participation.…”

“…115 people were re-contacted after having taken part in previous studies Freeman et al, 2009;Freeman et al, 2010), for which they had volunteered after receiving a flyer in the post, and had declared an interest in further research participation. Additionally, leaflets were distributed in local community settings, including Camberwell Job Centre, Camberwell Library and local cafes.…”

Stress sensitivity in paranoia: poor-me paranoia protects against the unpleasant effects of social stress

“…Psychological mechanisms underlying paranoid beliefs have been a focus of research and theoretical debate (Freeman et al, 2010, Bentall et al, 2001, Freeman and Garety, 2014. One influential theory proposes that individuals prone to paranoia make excessively external personal attributions (i.e.…”