Are You Really Paranoid, Just Because They Are After You? Exploring the Underlying Sensitization Processes of Intersectional Discrimination on Everyday-Life Paranoia

Authors

  • Björn Schlier Orcid
    Department of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Wuppertal, Wuppertal, Germany
  • Felix Strakeljahn Orcid
    Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
  • Christoph Kahl
    Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
  • Katharina Winkler Orcid
    Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany

Abstract

Background: Elevated paranoia levels have been found in discriminated, minoritized groups. Social-cognitive models of paranoia posit that experiences of discrimination strengthen negative core beliefs, which in turn foster clinical paranoia. In contrast, the healthy cultural mistrust hypothesis proposes that elevated paranoia in minoritized groups reflects an adaptive response to increased exploitation/discrimination. To explore whether elevated paranoia in discriminated groups can be fully understood within clinical models, we tested whether a history of discrimination amplifies the association between everyday-life stressors and subsequent state-paranoia and whether this moderation effect remains when controlling for established cognitive risk factors for paranoia (i.e., dysfunctional beliefs). Method: A general population sample (n = 108) answered a baseline self-report questionnaire of lifetime discrimination experiences (LDE) and core beliefs about oneself and others. Next, they reported state-paranoia, negative affect, and exclusion experiences in 2.5h intervals for seven days of ambulatory assessment. LDE and core-beliefs were tested as concurrent moderators for the associations between state-paranoia and putative triggers (negative-affect, exclusion) using multilevel regression. Results: More LDE amplified the association between paranoia, negative affect, and exclusion experiences. When controlling for the moderation effects of negative beliefs, effect sizes for the LDE moderation were lower but largely remained significant. Conclusions: Increased state-paranoia in the daily lives of people with discrimination experiences can be partially, but not fully, explained by clinical, cognitive risk factors. Consequently, healthy cultural mistrust can be considered an additional contributing factor to higher mistrust/paranoia in minoritized groups. Future in-depth research needs to disentangle mechanisms of emerging paranoia and adaptive mistrust in minoritized groups.