Abstract
BACKGROUND: Research on the association between paranoia and self-esteem has yielded inconsistent findings. Some studies have indicated an association between paranoia and low self-esteem, while other studies have shown an association with high self-esteem. A plausible explanation for these inconsistencies is that self-esteem is unstable in paranoid individuals.
METHOD: The association between instability in self-esteem and paranoia was assessed in a general population risk set of 4636 individuals using logistic regression analysis.
RESULTS: Self-esteem instability was significantly associated with the presence of paranoid symptoms (OR 1.27 95% CI 1.12-1.45) and not with other positive psychotic symptoms (OR 1.09 95% CI 0.96-1.23), adjusted for a range of a priori selected confounders.
CONCLUSION: The finding of a specific association between unstable self-esteem and paranoia is in line with a recent psychological model suggesting that paranoid beliefs arise partly as a consequence of dysfunctional efforts to regulate self-esteem.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 1-5 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology |
Volume | 42 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Jan 2007 |
Keywords
- Adolescent
- Adult
- Humans
- Longitudinal Studies
- Middle Aged
- Netherlands/epidemiology
- Odds Ratio
- Paranoid Disorders/epidemiology
- Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
- Psychotic Disorders/epidemiology
- Risk Factors
- Self Concept