Pandemic paranoia, general paranoia, and their relationships with worry and beliefs about self/others – a multi-site latent class analysis
Pandemic paranoia, general paranoia, and their relationships with worry and beliefs about self/others – a multi-site latent class analysis
Background
During the COVID-19 pandemic, an increase in paranoid thinking has been reported internationally. The development of the Pandemic Paranoia Scale (PPS) has provided a reliable assessment of various facets of pandemic paranoia. This study aimed to (i) identify classes of individuals with varying levels of general paranoia and pandemic paranoia, and (ii) examine associations between classification and worry, core beliefs, and pro-health behaviours.
Methods
An international sample of adults (N = 2510) across five sites completed the Revised-Green Paranoid Thoughts Scale and the PPS. Latent class analysis (LCA) was conducted using these two paranoia variables. Classes were compared on trait worry (Penn State Worry Questionnaire), beliefs about self/others (Brief Core Schema Scales), and pro-health behaviour.
Results
Three latent classes emerged: Class 1 with low R-GPTS and PPS scores, Class 2 with a high R-GPTS score and a moderate PPS score, and Class 3 with high R-GPTS and PPS scores. Compared to Class 1, Classes 2–3 were associated with more worry and negative self- and other-beliefs. Class 3 was further characterised by greater positive-self beliefs and less engagement in pro-health behaviours. Engagement in pro-health behaviours was positively correlated with interpersonal mistrust and negatively correlated with paranoid conspiracy and persecutory threat.
Conclusions
Individuals with a general paranoia tendency were more likely to respond to the global health threats in a suspicious and distrusting way. Our findings suggested that worry and negative self/other beliefs may contribute to not just general paranoia but also pandemic paranoia. The preliminary finding of a link between pro-health behaviours and interpersonal mistrust warrants further examination.
COVID-19 pandemic, Core schema, International, Mistrust
122-129
Ho-wai So, Suzanne
af627c37-c4e2-4957-8540-88cf8c9577f2
Zhu, Chen
b012e528-92e9-4805-8eaa-a47f7007d541
Lincoln, Tania
21fd97c5-090f-4843-b1ea-2579b2582cf4
Gaudiano, Brandon
45587384-0015-496e-abd1-47a488a56cd3
Kingston, Jessica
0a6d15b9-5390-4996-91c9-ef4be2bde1b7
Ellett, Lyn
96482ea6-04b6-4a50-a7ec-ae0a3abc20ca
Morris, Eric
a7732d1b-2673-473e-91ee-f982f46463f5
March 2022
Ho-wai So, Suzanne
af627c37-c4e2-4957-8540-88cf8c9577f2
Zhu, Chen
b012e528-92e9-4805-8eaa-a47f7007d541
Lincoln, Tania
21fd97c5-090f-4843-b1ea-2579b2582cf4
Gaudiano, Brandon
45587384-0015-496e-abd1-47a488a56cd3
Kingston, Jessica
0a6d15b9-5390-4996-91c9-ef4be2bde1b7
Ellett, Lyn
96482ea6-04b6-4a50-a7ec-ae0a3abc20ca
Morris, Eric
a7732d1b-2673-473e-91ee-f982f46463f5
Ho-wai So, Suzanne, Zhu, Chen, Lincoln, Tania, Gaudiano, Brandon, Kingston, Jessica, Ellett, Lyn and Morris, Eric
(2022)
Pandemic paranoia, general paranoia, and their relationships with worry and beliefs about self/others – a multi-site latent class analysis.
Schizophrenia Research, 241, .
(doi:10.1016/j.schres.2022.01.045).
Abstract
Background
During the COVID-19 pandemic, an increase in paranoid thinking has been reported internationally. The development of the Pandemic Paranoia Scale (PPS) has provided a reliable assessment of various facets of pandemic paranoia. This study aimed to (i) identify classes of individuals with varying levels of general paranoia and pandemic paranoia, and (ii) examine associations between classification and worry, core beliefs, and pro-health behaviours.
Methods
An international sample of adults (N = 2510) across five sites completed the Revised-Green Paranoid Thoughts Scale and the PPS. Latent class analysis (LCA) was conducted using these two paranoia variables. Classes were compared on trait worry (Penn State Worry Questionnaire), beliefs about self/others (Brief Core Schema Scales), and pro-health behaviour.
Results
Three latent classes emerged: Class 1 with low R-GPTS and PPS scores, Class 2 with a high R-GPTS score and a moderate PPS score, and Class 3 with high R-GPTS and PPS scores. Compared to Class 1, Classes 2–3 were associated with more worry and negative self- and other-beliefs. Class 3 was further characterised by greater positive-self beliefs and less engagement in pro-health behaviours. Engagement in pro-health behaviours was positively correlated with interpersonal mistrust and negatively correlated with paranoid conspiracy and persecutory threat.
Conclusions
Individuals with a general paranoia tendency were more likely to respond to the global health threats in a suspicious and distrusting way. Our findings suggested that worry and negative self/other beliefs may contribute to not just general paranoia but also pandemic paranoia. The preliminary finding of a link between pro-health behaviours and interpersonal mistrust warrants further examination.
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Accepted/In Press date: 24 January 2022
e-pub ahead of print date: 1 February 2022
Published date: March 2022
Additional Information:
Funding Information:
Nil.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Elsevier B.V.
Keywords:
COVID-19 pandemic, Core schema, International, Mistrust
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 454529
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/454529
ISSN: 0920-9964
PURE UUID: efc67f76-3f14-4d22-b02c-b763e2c6fb64
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Date deposited: 15 Feb 2022 17:39
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 04:10
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Contributors
Author:
Suzanne Ho-wai So
Author:
Chen Zhu
Author:
Tania Lincoln
Author:
Brandon Gaudiano
Author:
Jessica Kingston
Author:
Eric Morris
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