Interactions between social adversities and paranoia among Chinese adolescents: An investigation using network...

Social adversity is recognized as a risk factor for paranoia. However, few studies have examined multiple forms of social adversities experienced by adolescents while differentiating their unique associations with paranoia. Furthermore, the interaction between social adversities and their potential influence on paranoia remains unclear.

To investigate the interactions among histories of child maltreatment, concurrent social adversities, and paranoia, and to explore the potential directions of these relationships.

A valid sample of 1643 Chinese adolescents aged 13-18 (50.0% female) was recruited at baseline, of whom 1077 were reassessed after 5-6 months.

Self-reported experiences of child maltreatment, bullying victimization, and adverse life events, along with levels of paranoia, were evaluated. Regularized partial correlation networks (RPCNs) and directed acyclic graphs (DAGs) were constructed at each time point.

At both time points, paranoia was located at the center of the RPCNs, connecting different clusters of adversities, and possessed the highest closeness, betweenness, and bridge centralities. Moreover, paranoia was most closely linked with relational and verbal bullying and relationship pressure. The DAGs further indicated that relational and verbal bullying and relationship pressure might predict paranoia, which in turn links to other adverse experiences.

Our findings support the conceptualization of paranoia as an interpersonal construct that influences and is influenced by social interactions (particularly adversities characterized by negative judgments and rejection). Interventions should focus on enhancing interpersonal functioning and alleviating threat beliefs to disrupt the vicious cycle between paranoia and social adversities.