The interplay among paranoia, social relationships and negative affectivity in a heterogeneous clinical sample: A network analysis

Abstract

Previous evidence suggests paranoia affects people’s functioning in interpersonal relationships. However, less is known about the interconnections among specific aspects of paranoia and domains of social relationships. The goal of the current study was to explore the interplay among different aspects of paranoia, social relationships and negative affectivity (depression, anxiety and social anxiety) in a diverse clinical sample using network analysis. A sample of 366 participants (84.4% female) with a history of mental illness was recruited online. The mean age was 35.31 years. Data were modelled using the Gaussian Graphical Model with regularization. The network included the following scales: R-GPTS, SAD-D, National Institute of Health Toolbox Adult Social Relationship scales, PHQ-9 and GAD-7. The results revealed substantial connections between aspects of paranoia (ideas of reference and ideas of persecution) and both perceived hostility and perceived rejection. Furthermore, significant associations of ideas of reference with social anxiety and loneliness with depression were observed. Perceived rejection and loneliness were the most central nodes in the estimated network. The current study provides robust evidence for the interconnections of paranoia, social relationships and negative affectivity, present across different diagnoses. This further supports the transdiagnostic approach to paranoia research and the related important role of social relationships.

Rumination as a Transdiagnostic Phenomenon in the 21st Century: The Flow Model of Rumination

“…Furthermore, particularly in psychotic disorders, increased experiences of suspiciousness can be triggered by external stressors [133,134]. These experiences can interact with altered cognitive processes, such as heightened attention and prolonged fixation on threatening cues and negative information [114,[135][136][137], reduced cognitive flexibility [138], working memory deficits [139], over-general autobiographical memory [140], reduced memory specificity and richness of detail [141], and other negative affective states (e.g., social anxiety, generalized anxiety, depressive mood) [142]. Notably, the tendency to attend to perceived threatening stimuli and make spurious associations between coincidental thoughts and environmental cues [143] may further perpetuate the cycle of fixated thoughts related to delusional ideas.…”

Temporal pathways from attachment insecurity to paranoia in a heterogeneous clinical sample: An experience sampling study

“…Paranoia can also be experienced across different clinical conditions – such as dementia and stress‐related, affective and personality disorders – which suggests that it has a transdiagnostic nature. Furthermore, the less severe experiences of paranoia concerning increased interpersonal sensitivity, suspicion and mistrust of others are common in the general population (Bebbington & Freeman, 2017; Freeman, 2007; Januška et al, 2021). Clinically significant paranoia is excessive and unfounded and causes distress within interpersonal relationships (Freeman et al, 2005).…”

Inducing Paranoia is Linked to Increased Resting Amygdala Cerebral Blood Flow in Healthy Individuals

“…Importantly, across this continuum, paranoia is linked to significant distress and functional impairment. In clinically diagnosed conditions, paranoia is associated with reduced social engagement (Fan et al, 2022), reduced social acceptability (Hajdúk et al, 2019), poorer interpersonal relationships (Pinkham et al, 2016), and increased perceptions of hostility and rejection from others (Januška et al, 2021). At sub-clinical levels, increased paranoia has been linked to reduced relationship satisfaction (Springfield, Ackerman et al, 2021), less social engagement (Hajdúk et al, 2019), and more conflict in relationships and greater vocational difficulties (Rossler et al, 2007).…”