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What can experimental studies tell us about paranoia and anxiety? A systematic review with implications for theory and clinical practice

What can experimental studies tell us about paranoia and anxiety? A systematic review with implications for theory and clinical practice
What can experimental studies tell us about paranoia and anxiety? A systematic review with implications for theory and clinical practice

Background: Psychosis is one of the most disabling and costly long-term conditions, and treatment outcomes remain modest. Interventions focused on specific symptoms, such as paranoia, show promise and typically target cognitive and behavioural maintenance processes. Anxiety is implicated in theories of paranoia; however, the nature of the relationship remains unclear. We review experimental studies of paranoia and anxiety against existing cognitive models.

Method: A systematic review strategy identified experimental studies assessing levels of anxiety and paranoia. Papers were assessed for quality, and data relating to samples, measures, designs and key findings were extracted and narratively synthesised.

Results: Nineteen studies met criteria for the review. Most found that manipulations impacting anxiety also impacted paranoia, with preliminary evidence for a causal relationship. The overall quality of the research was weak.

Conclusions: We recommend a research agenda to confirm initial evidence for the causal role of anxiety in increased paranoia, and whether targeting affect, in addition to cognitive and behavioural maintenance processes, improves outcomes in clinical groups and those at risk of psychosis.

Paranoia, anxiety, experiment, persecutory, systematic review
1752-2439
Bennetts, Alison
1303c39e-68a0-4516-8b77-b553a5e4de39
Stopa, Lusia
b52f29fc-d1c2-450d-b321-68f95fa22c40
Newman-Taylor, Katherine
e090b9da-6ede-45d5-8a56-2e86c2dafef7
Bennetts, Alison
1303c39e-68a0-4516-8b77-b553a5e4de39
Stopa, Lusia
b52f29fc-d1c2-450d-b321-68f95fa22c40
Newman-Taylor, Katherine
e090b9da-6ede-45d5-8a56-2e86c2dafef7

Bennetts, Alison, Stopa, Lusia and Newman-Taylor, Katherine (2021) What can experimental studies tell us about paranoia and anxiety? A systematic review with implications for theory and clinical practice. Psychosis. (doi:10.1080/17522439.2021.1909112).

Record type: Review

Abstract

Background: Psychosis is one of the most disabling and costly long-term conditions, and treatment outcomes remain modest. Interventions focused on specific symptoms, such as paranoia, show promise and typically target cognitive and behavioural maintenance processes. Anxiety is implicated in theories of paranoia; however, the nature of the relationship remains unclear. We review experimental studies of paranoia and anxiety against existing cognitive models.

Method: A systematic review strategy identified experimental studies assessing levels of anxiety and paranoia. Papers were assessed for quality, and data relating to samples, measures, designs and key findings were extracted and narratively synthesised.

Results: Nineteen studies met criteria for the review. Most found that manipulations impacting anxiety also impacted paranoia, with preliminary evidence for a causal relationship. The overall quality of the research was weak.

Conclusions: We recommend a research agenda to confirm initial evidence for the causal role of anxiety in increased paranoia, and whether targeting affect, in addition to cognitive and behavioural maintenance processes, improves outcomes in clinical groups and those at risk of psychosis.

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Accepted/In Press date: 23 March 2021
e-pub ahead of print date: 6 July 2021
Published date: 6 July 2021
Additional Information: Publisher Copyright: © 2021 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Keywords: Paranoia, anxiety, experiment, persecutory, systematic review

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 450537
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/450537
ISSN: 1752-2439
PURE UUID: 02c0f478-53f3-47af-8b76-37c592500445
ORCID for Alison Bennetts: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-2461-7868
ORCID for Katherine Newman-Taylor: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-1579-7959

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Date deposited: 03 Aug 2021 16:31
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 03:59

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