Abstract
Paranoia and persecutory delusions comprise the symptoms of established disorders such as schizophrenia in clinical populations. Paranoia is believed to exist on a continuum within the general population as well. There is limited research on the possible underpinnings of paranoia, but theoretical models of paranoia suggest that negative life events, trauma, negative views of the self and others, and emotional distress are important factors. Specifically, shame and traumatic life events/stress has been extensively entwined with the development of paranoid ideations among individuals. In this study, we explored the role of internal and external shame along with traumatic stress as it related to paranoia and emotional distress in a sample of ninety college students. Results showed that all variables were modestly correlated but further analysis showed that only external shame was related to the presence of paranoid ideation; internal shame was linked to anxiety and depression. Implications for the role of shame in paranoia are discussed.
Published Version
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