Do paranoid delusions exist on a continuum with subclinical paranoia? A multi-method taxometric study.
Open accessAbstract
BACKGROUND: There is widespread interest in whether psychosis exists on a continuum with healthy functioning. Previous research has implied that paranoia, a common symptom of psychosis, exists on a continuum but this has not been investigated using samples including both patients and non-patients and up-to-date taxometric methods. AIM: To assess the latent structure of paranoia in a diverse sample using taxometric methods. METHOD: We obtained data from 2836 participants, including the general population as well as at-risk mental state and psychotic patients using the P-scale of the Paranoia and Deservedness Scale. Data were analysed using three taxometric procedures, MAMBAC, MAXEIG and L-MODE (Ruscio, 2016), and two sets of paranoia indicators (subscales and selected items from the P scale), including and excluding the patient groups. RESULTS: Eleven of the twelve analyses supported a dimensional model. Using the full sample and subscales as indicators, the MAMBAC analysis was ambiguous. Overall, the findings converged on a dimensional latent structure. CONCLUSIONS: A dimensional latent structure of paranoia implies that the processes involved in sub-clinical paranoia may be similar to those in clinical paranoia.
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- Authors
- Elahi, A., Perez Algorta, G., Varese, F., McIntyre, J. C., & Bentall, R. P.
- Affiliations
- University of Liverpool (GB)
- University of Manchester (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Elahi, A.
- Venue
- Schizophrenia Research
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2017-12
- Volume
- 190
- Pages
- 77-81
- ISSN
- 0920-9964 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2593267984
- Cited by
- 124
- References
- 8
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 16 · 2023: 16 · 2022: 15 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 14 · 2019: 20 · 2018: 14 · 2017: 3
- FWCI
- 11.10
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Locations
- Schizophrenia Research (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- White Rose Research Online (University of Leeds, The University of Sheffield, University of York) (acceptedVersion)
- Liverpool John Moores University (submittedVersion)
- Lancaster EPrints (Lancaster University) (submittedVersion)
- Research Explorer (The University of Manchester) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Funders
- National Institute for Health and Care Research
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Schizophrenia research and treatment
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Philosophy › Mental Health and Psychiatry
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Management Science and Operations Research › Psychometric Methodologies and Testing
- Keywords
- persecutory delusions
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Delusions, Female, Humans, Male, Models, Theoretical, Paranoid Behavior, Paranoid Disorders, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Psychotic Disorders, Risk, Principal Component Analysis, Young Adult
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