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Published on: September 27, 2020
Instability in self-esteem and paranoia in a general population sample.
Viviane Thewissen1, Inez Myin-Germeys, Richard Bentall
1Dept. of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, South Limburg Mental Health Research and Teaching Network, EURON, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616 (DRT 10), 6200, MD, Mastricht, The Netherlands.
Unstable self-esteem is specifically linked to paranoia, not other psychotic symptoms. This finding supports models where paranoid beliefs stem from difficulties in regulating self-esteem.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Clinical Psychology
- Social Psychology
Background:
- Previous research on paranoia and self-esteem yielded inconsistent results, with some studies linking paranoia to low self-esteem and others to high self-esteem.
- A potential explanation for these discrepancies is the instability of self-esteem in individuals experiencing paranoia.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between self-esteem instability and paranoia.
- To determine if self-esteem instability is specifically related to paranoid symptoms.
Main Methods:
- A general population sample of 4636 individuals was analyzed.
- Logistic regression analysis was employed to assess the relationship between self-esteem instability and paranoia.
Main Results:
- Self-esteem instability showed a significant association with the presence of paranoid symptoms (OR 1.27, 95% CI 1.12-1.45).
- No significant association was found between self-esteem instability and other positive psychotic symptoms (OR 1.09, 95% CI 0.96-1.23).
- Analyses were adjusted for potential confounding factors.
Conclusions:
- The study identified a specific link between unstable self-esteem and paranoia.
- This finding aligns with psychological models proposing that paranoid beliefs develop from maladaptive self-esteem regulation strategies.
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