Fear of madness and persecutory delusions: Preliminary investigation of a new scale
Abstract
There are anecdotal clinical reports of fear of madness occurring in individuals with psychosis, but the topic has not been a focus of empirical scrutiny. The first aim of the study was to investigate whether fear of madness is present in individuals with persecutory delusions. The second aim was to investigate whether fear of madness is linked to paranoia: it was hypothesised that fear of madness is an anxious worry associated with more distressing persecutory experience. Twenty‐five individuals with persecutory delusions were compared with 25 non‐clinical individuals. The participants completed the newly developed Worries About Mental Health questionnaire and assessments of paranoia, anxiety and worry. It was found that the individuals with delusions reported significantly higher levels of anxiety, worry and fear of madness than the non‐clinical control group. Importantly, in the clinical group higher levels of fear of madness were associated with higher levels of anxiety, worry and persecutory delusion distress. In summary, fear of madness may be a common concern in people with persecutory delusions that is a contributory cause of paranoia distress. Sensitively addressing the content of ideas about madness during interventions may therefore help reduce patient distress about persecutory delusions.
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Several studies have supported the correlation and predictive relationship between rumination and depressive symptoms, anxiety, positive symptoms and negative symptoms.
“Several studies have supported the correlation and predictive relationship between rumination and depressive symptoms,12,13 anxiety,13 positive symptoms13–16 and negative symptoms.17”
From Dispositional Mindfulness and Psychotic Symptoms in Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders: The Mediating Roles of Rumination and Negative Emotion (2022) · cites this paper as [13]
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- Authors
- Bassett, M., Sperlinger, D., & Freeman, D.
- Affiliations
- Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust (GB)
- Canterbury Christ Church University (GB)
- King's College London (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Freeman, Daniel
- ORCID
- Freeman, Daniel
- Venue
- Psychosis
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2009-02
- Volume
- 1
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 39-50
- ISSN
- 1752-2439 (ISSN-L)
- 1752-2447
- OpenAlex
- W2059229175
- Cited by
- 31
- References
- 32
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 2 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 3 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 1.44
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Psychosis (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Schizophrenia research and treatment
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Philosophy › Mental Health and Psychiatry
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Hallucinations in medical conditions
- Keywords
- fear of madness, persecutory delusions, paranoia, anxiety, worry, scale development
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