A Novel Approach to Assessing the Jumping to Conclusions bias: Evidence of Validity from the Real-Life Paradigm.

The Jumping to Conclusions bias (JTC), characterized by hasty decision-making with insufficient information, is associated with delusion development. The beads task, a standard measure for JTC, assesses information-gathering behaviour but may yield inconsistent results due to comprehension difficulties and limited engagement. To address these shortcomings, we developed the Real-Life Paradigm -two novel tasks simulating social scenarios, tested alongside the beads task under three experimental conditions (baseline, time pressure and cost-benefit), along with measures of psychotic experiences, emotional states, and task appraisal.

Could an evaluative conditioning intervention ameliorate paranoid beliefs? Self-reported and neurophysiological evidence from a brief intervention focused on improving self-esteem.

Introduction: Much research on the treatment of paranoia has involved cognitive-behavioural interventions that address explicit social cognition processes. However, much of human cognition is preverbal or implicit, raising the possibility that such social judgements are implicated in paranoia. One type of implicit social cognition that has been investigated concerning paranoia is implicit self-esteem with some evidence that it may be possible to change implicit self-esteem using techniques based on conditioning theory.

Psychological Group Interventions for Reducing Distress Symptoms in Healthcare Workers: A Systematic Review.

Healthcare workers exposed to emergencies and chronic stressors are at high risk of developing mental health problems. This review synthesized existing studies of group psychological therapy to reduce distress symptoms in healthcare workers (i.e.

The role of insecure attachment and psychological mechanisms in paranoid and depressive symptoms: An exploratory model.

Attachment theory is considered an important theoretical framework for understanding the ontogenesis of psychopathology. In this regard, insecure attachment styles have been associated with the development and maintenance of paranoid and depressive symptoms. Furthermore, different psychological processes (i.

A multicomponent positive psychology group intervention for people with severe psychiatric conditions; a randomized clinical trial.

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the efficacy and effectiveness of a theory-driven multicomponent positive psychology intervention to improve well-being for individuals with severe psychiatric conditions (SPCs) in comparison with treatment as usual (TAU). This intervention moves away from the traditional psychiatric perspectives that focused on symptoms and deficits, promoting a broader view of outcomes such as noncritical self-acceptance, strengths, and positive relationships with others, among other things.

Method: A two-arm randomized and outcome-blinded trial with pre-post and 6-month follow-up evaluations was conducted to assess the intervention.

Self-Schemas and Self-Esteem Discrepancies in Subclinical Paranoia: The Essential Role of Depressive Symptoms.

Self-concepts are being intensively investigated in relation to paranoia, but research has shown some contradictory findings. Studying subclinical phenomena in a non-clinical population should allow for a clearer understanding given that clinical confounding factors are avoided. We explored self-esteem, self-schemas, and implicit/explicit self-esteem discrepancies in three non-clinical groups with different psychopathological traits and a control group.

Psychological recovery stages of alcohol dependent patients after an intensive outpatient treatment: A 4-year follow-up study.

The aim of this work is to determine if relapses can hinder the sequence of psychological recovery and to rebuild this sequence in patients with severe alcohol dependence that seek treatment. The sample was comprised of 159 patients seeking an intensive outpatient treatment of two years duration and who were subject to follow-up during four years after discharge. Patients were grouped according to the presence of relapse during follow-up, resulting in abstainers (n = 80) and relapsers (n = 79).

The Study of Psychopathology from the Network Analysis Perspective: A Systematic Review.

Background: Network analysis (NA) is an analytical tool that allows one to explore the map of connections and eventual dynamic influences among symptoms and other elements of mental disorders. In recent years, the use of NA in psychopathology has rapidly grown, which calls for a systematic and critical analysis of its clinical utility.

Methods: Following PRISMA guidelines, a systematic review of published empirical studies applying NA in psychopathology, between 2010 and 2017, was conducted.

The challenge of well-being and quality of life: A meta-analysis of psychological interventions in schizophrenia.

Well-being is a critical outcome in the recovery from psychosis and the prevention of symptoms. Previous reviews of the effectiveness of psychological interventions have focused on psychotic symptoms and general psychopathology, not recognising well-being as an essential outcome. This study conducted a meta-analysis of the effects of psychological interventions on the well-being and quality of life (QoL) of people with schizophrenia and analysed some critical moderating factors.

Can We Ameliorate Psychotic Symptoms by Improving Implicit Self-Esteem? A Proof-of-Concept Experience Sampling Study of an Evaluative Classical Conditioning Intervention.

There is a need to develop novel interventions for psychosis, targeted at specific psychological mechanisms. We used a classical conditioning paradigm to a) modify implicit self-esteem and b) examine subsequent effects on subclinical psychotic symptoms measured by the Experience Sampling Methodology. This study is a proof-of-concept pilot investigation conducted with 28 students with high paranoia levels, assessing variations in their self-esteem, paranoid beliefs, and subclinical psychotic symptoms daily.

Adversity and persecutory ideation: A moderated mediational model.

Adversity has been identified as an important factor in models of psychopathology and can help in understanding persecutory ideation, although potential moderators and mediators for adult psychopathology have not been sufficiently examined. Experiential avoidance (EA) and Self-esteem (SE) are relevant factors to understand how adversity leads to persecutory ideation. This study hypothesized that adversity would be associated with persecutory ideation through heightened EA, and that this association would be strengthened in individuals with a discrepant high SE.

Recovery style and stigma in psychosis: the healing power of integrating.

Introduction: Persecutory delusions are a very common symptom in psychotic disorders and represent a considerable cost for both patients and for society. The way in which a person faces their psychotic disorder (i.e.

Stress induced by the socially evaluated cold-pressor test cause equivalent deficiencies of sensory gating in male subjects with schizophrenia and healthy controls.

It is known that patients with schizophrenia show a deficiency in the prepulse inhibition reflex (PPI). These patients display abnormalities in autonomic nervous system and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal function and may have an altered sensitivity to stress. To date, no studies have been carried out to determine the effect of acute stress on the PPI.

Insight in paranoia: The role of experiential avoidance and internalized stigma.

Evidence suggests that insight in psychosis has been related to treatment adherence, recovery and good prognosis, but also to depression, low self-esteem, and diminished quality of life. Thus, insight might not be advantageous under all circumstances. Internalized-stigma (i.

Evaluative beliefs as mediators of the relationship between parental bonding and symptoms of paranoia and depression.

This study was aimed to explore the distinct pathways that lead to depression and paranoia. We first examined the association of dysfunctional parenting experiences and negative self-evaluations in depression and paranoia. Furthermore, we also examined whether different self-evaluative beliefs could mediate the relationships between dysfunctional parenting experiences (i.

Can blood pressure measurements taken in the physician's office avoid the 'white coat' bias?

Objective: Obtaining an accurate blood pressure (BP) reading is vital for diagnosing hypertension. However, BP measures taken in the physician's clinic (CBP) are subject to the 'white coat' bias. Measurements taken outside the office using ambulatory (ABP) and home (HBP) monitoring are superior predictors of cardiovascular diseases compared with CBP, but ABP remains underutilized because of the effort and expense involved.

Implicit and explicit self-esteem discrepancies in paranoia and depression.

The main purpose of the present study was to examine implicit and explicit self-esteem (SE) in patients with persecutory delusions. In samples of paranoid patients, depressed patients, and healthy controls, implicit SE was assessed using the experimental go/no-go association task, whereas explicit SE was measured using 2 self-reporting questionnaires: the self-worth subscale of the World Assumption Scale (Janoff-Bulman, 1989) and the self-acceptance subscale of the Scales of Psychological Well-Being (Ryff & Keyes, 1995). Our analysis revealed that depressed patients showed lower explicit SE than did paranoid and healthy control participants.

Psychological factors associated with poor hypertension control: differences in personality and stress between patients with controlled and uncontrolled hypertension.

Only one-third of patients with hypertension under pharmacological treatment achieve the recommended blood pressure goals. Psychological factors could partially account for poor hypertension control through the existence of personality traits related to treatment compliance (e.g.

World assumptions in psychosis: do paranoid patients believe in a just world?

The aim of this study was to examine the contents of world views held by patients with current persecutory beliefs. We examined whether these beliefs in a just world (BJW) were associated with the severity of psychopathology of participants. Our results showed that, compared with a healthy control group, the current persecutory beliefs group had weaker beliefs in a just world related to themselves (BJW-P), but there were no differences between both groups in their beliefs in general justice in the world (BJW-G).

Differences in emotional personality traits and stress between sustained hypertension and normotension.

This study was aimed at determining whether there are differences in emotional personality traits and psychosocial stress between hypertension and normotension. From a large community sample of adults, 14 individuals having hypertension and showing clinic blood pressures (BP) >or=140/90 mm Hg and self-measured BPs >or=135/85 mm Hg (sustained hypertensives) were selected and compared with a sex- and age-matched group of 14 individuals with normotension (clinic BPs <140/90 mm Hg and self-measured BPs <135/85 mm Hg) on measures of trait anxiety, trait depression, trait anger and stress derived from standardized questionnaires. There were no significant differences between hypertensives and normotensives on trait anger, but, in line with hypotheses, the sustained hypertensive group showed higher levels of trait anxiety, trait depression and stress than did the normotensive group.