Paranoid Thinking, Quality of Relationships With Parents, and Social Outcomes Among Young Adults

Abstract

Research based on clinical samples suggests that poor-quality relationships with parents are associated with paranoid disorders; however, no research has investigated such relations within nonclinical populations. Undergraduate students ( N = 179) completed self-reports of paranoid thinking, quality of relationships with mothers and fathers, loneliness, and social isolation. Paranoid thinking was associated with poor-quality relationships with parents and loneliness, including when both variables were considered simultaneously. Paranoid thinking was also associated with social isolation, but only for participants not currently residing with parents, suggesting that living in the family home may ameliorate links between paranoid thinking and isolation from friends. Family relationships are discussed as potential targets for clinical intervention in emerging adulthood.