Cited by 786Schizophrenia research and treatmentMental Health and PsychiatryAnxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes

Psychological investigation of the structure of paranoia in a non-clinical population

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Freeman, Daniel, Garety, Philippa A., Bebbington, Paul E., Smith, Benjamin, Rollinson, Rebecca, Fowler, David, Kuipers, Elizabeth, Ray, Katarzyna +1 more·2005·British Journal of Psychiatry

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Previous studies of paranoia have assessed only limited numbers of paranoid thoughts, and have not considered the experience from a multidimensional perspective or examined the relationship between different suspicious thoughts. AIMS: To assess a wide range of paranoid thoughts multidimensionally and examine their distribution, to identify the associated coping strategies and to examine social-cognitive processes and paranoia. METHOD: Six questionnaire assessments were completed by 1202 individuals using the internet. RESULTS: Paranoid thoughts occurred regularly in approximately a third of the group. Increasing endorsement of paranoid thoughts was characterised by the recruitment of rarer and odder ideas. Higher levels of paranoia were associated with emotional and avoidant coping, less use of rational and detached coping, negative attitudes to emotional expression, submissive behaviours and lower social rank. CONCLUSIONS: Suspiciousness is common and there may be a hierarchical arrangement of such thoughts that builds on common emotional concerns.

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Crossref · 10.1192/bjp.186.5.427

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Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

  • Persecutory delusions are the extreme end of a spectrum of paranoia in the general population.

    “They are the extreme end of a spectrum of paranoia in the general population.”

    From A counterweight model for understanding and treating persecutory delusions. (2025) · cites this paper as Freeman et al., 2005

  • Cannabis use is associated with paranoia.

    “and that CU is associated with paranoia (Freeman et al., 2005).”

    From Can epigenetics shine a light on the biological pathways underlying major mental disorders? (2022) · cites this paper as Freeman et al., 2005

    The Aims and Paranoid thoughts occurred sections describe associations between paranoia and coping or social-cognitive factors, but do not address cannabis use. Searches for cannabis, marijuana, and substance or drug use found no passage linking cannabis use to paranoia in our copy; page numbers were not available. (LLM, conf=0.75)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Psychotic symptoms, and specifically paranoia, are not confined to clinically defined groups but are distributed across the general population.

    “Evidence suggests that psychotic symptoms [54–56], and specifically paranoia [16], are not only confined to clinically defined groups, but are distributed across the general population.”

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Authors
Freeman, D., Garety, P. A., Bebbington, P. E., Smith, B., Rollinson, R., Fowler, D., Kuipers, E., Ray, K., & Dunn, G.
Affiliations
  • King's College London (GB)
  • The Royal Free Hospital (GB)
  • University of East Anglia (GB)
  • University of Manchester (GB)
Corresponding author
Freeman, Daniel
Venue
British Journal of Psychiatry
Published
2005-05
Volume
186
Issue
5
Pages
427-435
ISSN
  • 0007-1250 (ISSN-L)
  • 1472-1465
OpenAlex
W2131204413
Cited by
786
References
25
Citations by year
2026: 44 · 2025: 33 · 2024: 47 · 2023: 47 · 2022: 43 · 2021: 46 · 2020: 51 · 2019: 47 · 2018: 52 · 2017: 52 · 2016: 44 · 2015: 38 · 2014: 43 · 2013: 34 · 2012: 29
FWCI
8.82
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • The British Journal of Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
  • Research Portal (King's College London) (submittedVersion)
  • UEA Digital Repository (University of East Anglia) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • Wellcome Trust
  • University of East Anglia
  • King's College London
  • Menzies Centre for Australian Studies, King's College London, University of London
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Schizophrenia research and treatment
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Philosophy › Mental Health and Psychiatry
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
Keywords
paranoia, paranoid thinking, suspicion, non-clinical population, coping strategies, socio-cognitive processes, emotional expression, social rank, avoidance coping
MeSH terms
Adaptation, Psychological, Adolescent, Adult, Attitude to Health, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Paranoid Disorders, Psychological Tests, Surveys and Questionnaires, Sensitivity and Specificity, Thinking

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