Abstract
Background: There is strong evidence to suggest that anxiety is associated with paranoia in clinical and non-clinical samples. However, no research to date has directly manipulated anxiety to investigate if state-Anxiety has a causal role in state-paranoia in clinical populations. Aims: To investigate whether an anxious-mood induction leads to greater paranoia than a neutral-mood induction in people experiencing psychosis and paranoia and, if so, whether this is predicted by anxiety over and above other variables. Method: 22 participants with a psychosis-spectrum diagnosis took part in a two condition cross-over experimental design. Participants underwent a neutral-mood and an anxious-mood induction with levels of state-Anxiety, state-Affect and state-paranoia being measured before and after each condition. Results: State-paranoia was significantly higher after the anxious condition compared with the neutral condition. State-Anxiety and negative-Affect were significant predictors of levels of state-paranoia after the anxious condition. When both predictors were included in a regression model, only negative-Affect was a significant predictor of state-paranoia after the anxious condition. There were a number of methodological limitations. Conclusions: State-Anxiety and negative-Affect may both be involved in the maintenance of paranoia in clinical populations, as predicted by cognitive models. Negative-Affect may be the strongest predictor of state-paranoia in clinical populations. Reasons for this are discussed, as well as the implications. Interventions that seek to reduce negative state-Affect may be beneficial in managing state-paranoia. Further research is warranted to explore the suggested clinical and theoretical implications of these findings.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 52-66 |
| Number of pages | 15 |
| Journal | Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy |
| Volume | 47 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Early online date | 25 Jun 2018 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Jan 2019 |
Keywords
- affect
- anxiety
- paranoia
- psychosis
- schizophrenia
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Clinical Psychology
Cite this
An Experimental Investigation into the Effect of State-Anxiety on State-Paranoia in People Experiencing Psychosis. / Cowles, Megan; Hogg, Lorna.
In: Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy , Vol. 47, No. 1, 01.01.2019, p. 52-66.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - An Experimental Investigation into the Effect of State-Anxiety on State-Paranoia in People Experiencing Psychosis
AU - Cowles, Megan
AU - Hogg, Lorna
PY - 2019/1/1
Y1 - 2019/1/1
N2 - Background: There is strong evidence to suggest that anxiety is associated with paranoia in clinical and non-clinical samples. However, no research to date has directly manipulated anxiety to investigate if state-Anxiety has a causal role in state-paranoia in clinical populations. Aims: To investigate whether an anxious-mood induction leads to greater paranoia than a neutral-mood induction in people experiencing psychosis and paranoia and, if so, whether this is predicted by anxiety over and above other variables. Method: 22 participants with a psychosis-spectrum diagnosis took part in a two condition cross-over experimental design. Participants underwent a neutral-mood and an anxious-mood induction with levels of state-Anxiety, state-Affect and state-paranoia being measured before and after each condition. Results: State-paranoia was significantly higher after the anxious condition compared with the neutral condition. State-Anxiety and negative-Affect were significant predictors of levels of state-paranoia after the anxious condition. When both predictors were included in a regression model, only negative-Affect was a significant predictor of state-paranoia after the anxious condition. There were a number of methodological limitations. Conclusions: State-Anxiety and negative-Affect may both be involved in the maintenance of paranoia in clinical populations, as predicted by cognitive models. Negative-Affect may be the strongest predictor of state-paranoia in clinical populations. Reasons for this are discussed, as well as the implications. Interventions that seek to reduce negative state-Affect may be beneficial in managing state-paranoia. Further research is warranted to explore the suggested clinical and theoretical implications of these findings.
AB - Background: There is strong evidence to suggest that anxiety is associated with paranoia in clinical and non-clinical samples. However, no research to date has directly manipulated anxiety to investigate if state-Anxiety has a causal role in state-paranoia in clinical populations. Aims: To investigate whether an anxious-mood induction leads to greater paranoia than a neutral-mood induction in people experiencing psychosis and paranoia and, if so, whether this is predicted by anxiety over and above other variables. Method: 22 participants with a psychosis-spectrum diagnosis took part in a two condition cross-over experimental design. Participants underwent a neutral-mood and an anxious-mood induction with levels of state-Anxiety, state-Affect and state-paranoia being measured before and after each condition. Results: State-paranoia was significantly higher after the anxious condition compared with the neutral condition. State-Anxiety and negative-Affect were significant predictors of levels of state-paranoia after the anxious condition. When both predictors were included in a regression model, only negative-Affect was a significant predictor of state-paranoia after the anxious condition. There were a number of methodological limitations. Conclusions: State-Anxiety and negative-Affect may both be involved in the maintenance of paranoia in clinical populations, as predicted by cognitive models. Negative-Affect may be the strongest predictor of state-paranoia in clinical populations. Reasons for this are discussed, as well as the implications. Interventions that seek to reduce negative state-Affect may be beneficial in managing state-paranoia. Further research is warranted to explore the suggested clinical and theoretical implications of these findings.
KW - affect
KW - anxiety
KW - paranoia
KW - psychosis
KW - schizophrenia
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85048954934&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1017/S1352465818000401
DO - 10.1017/S1352465818000401
M3 - Article
VL - 47
SP - 52
EP - 66
JO - Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy
JF - Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy
SN - 1352-4658
IS - 1
ER -