Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Instability in self-esteem and paranoia in a general population sample

  • ORIGINAL PAPER
  • Published:
Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

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.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Barrowclough C, Tarrier N, Humphreys L, Ward J, Gregg L, Andrews B (2003) Self-esteem in schizophrenia: relationships between self-evaluation, family attitudes, and symptomatology. J Abnorm Psychol 112:92–99

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Rosenberg M (1965) Society and the adolescent self-image. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ

    Google Scholar 

  3. Guillon MS, Crocq MA, Bailey PE (2003) The relationship between self-esteem and psychiatric disorders in adolescents. Eur Psychiatry 18:59–62

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Silverstone PH (1991) Low self-esteem in different psychiatric conditions. Br J Clin Psychol 30(2):185–188

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Bentall RP, Corcoran R, Howard R, Blackwood N, Kinderman P (2001) Persecutory delusions: a review and theoretical integration. Clin Psychol Rev 21:1143–1192

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Freeman D, Garety P, Fowler D, Kuipers E, Dunn G, Bebbington P, Hadley C (1998) The London-East Anglia randomized controlled trial of cognitive-behaviour therapy for psychosis. IV: Self-esteem and persecutory delusions. Br J Clin Psychol 37(4):415–430

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Krabbendam L, Janssen I, Bak M, Bijl RV, de Graaf R, van Os J (2002) Neuroticism and low self-esteem as risk factors for psychosis. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 37:1–6

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Drake RJ, Pickles A, Bentall RP, Kinderman P, Haddock G, Tarrier N, Lewis SW (2004) The evolution of insight, paranoia and depression during early schizophrenia. Psychol Med 34:285–292

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Combs DR, Penn DL (2004) The role of subclinical paranoia on social perception and behavior. Schizophr Res 69:93–104

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Ellett L, Lopes B, Chadwick P (2003) Paranoia in a nonclinical population of college students. J Nerv Ment Dis 191:425–430

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Martin JA, Penn DL (2001) Social cognition and subclinical paranoid ideation. Br J Clin Psychol 40:261–265

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Candido CL, Romney DM (1990) Attributional style in paranoid vs. depressed patients. Br J Med Psychol 63(4):355–363

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Lyon HM, Kaney S, Bentall RP (1994) The defensive function of persecutory delusions. Evidence from attribution tasks. Br J Psychiatry 164:637–646

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Kernis MH (2005) Measuring self-esteem in context: the importance of stability of self-esteem in psychological functioning. J Pers 73:1569–1605

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Kernis MH, Cornell DP, Sun CR, Berry A, Harlow T (1993) There’s more to self-esteem than whether it is high or low: the importance of stability of self-esteem. J Pers Soc Psychol 65:1190–1204

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Kernis MH, Goldman BM (2003) Stability and variability in self-concept en self-esteem. In: Leary M, Tangney J (eds) Handbook of self and identity. The Guilford Press, New York, pp 106–152

    Google Scholar 

  17. Leary MR, Tangney JP (2003) Handbook of self and identity. Guilford Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  18. Greenier KD, Kernis MH, McNamara CW, Waschull SB, Berry AJ, Herlocker CE, Abend TA (1999) Individual differences in reactivity to daily events: examining the roles of stability and level of self-esteem. J Pers 67:185–208

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Kernis MH (1993) The role of stability and level of self-esteem in psychological functioning. In: Baumeister RF (eds) Self-esteem : the puzzle of low self-regard. Plenum Press, New York, pp 167–182

    Google Scholar 

  20. Kernis MH, Grannemann BD, Barclay LC (1989) Stability and level of self-esteem as predictors of anger arousal and hostility. J Pers Soc Psychol 56:1013–1022

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Kernis MH, Whisenhunt CR, Waschull SB, Greenier KD, Berry AJ, Herlocker CE, Anderson CA (1998) Multiple facets of self-esteem and their relations to depressive symptoms. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 24:657–668

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Paradise AW, Kernis MH (2002) Self-esteem and psychological well-being: implications of fragile self-esteem. J Soc Clin Psych 21:345–361

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Fear C, Sharp H, Healy D (1996) Cognitive processes in delusional disorders. Br J Psychiatry 168:61–67

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Kaney S, Bentall RP (1989) Persecutory delusions and attributional style. Br J Med Psychol 62(2):191–198

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Kaney S, Bentall RP (1992) Persecutory delusions and the self-serving bias. Evidence from a contingency judgment task. J Nerv Ment Dis 180:773–780

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Lee HJ, Won HT (1998) The self-concepts, the other-concepts, and attributional style in paranoia and depression. Korean J Clin Psychol 17:105–125

    Google Scholar 

  27. Sharp HM, Fear CF, Healy D (1997) Attributional style and delusions: an investigation based ondelusional content. Eur Psychiatry 12:1–7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Fenigstein A, Vanable PA (1992) Paranoia and self-consciousness. J Pers Soc Psychol 62:129–138

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Johns LC, van Os J (2001) The continuity of psychotic experiences in the general population. Clin Psychol Rev 21:1125–1141

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Stefanis NC, Hanssen M, Smirnis NK, Avramopoulos DA, Evdokimidis IK, Stefanis CN, Verdoux H, Van Os J (2002) Evidence that three dimensions of psychosis have a distribution in the general population. Psychol Med 32:347–358

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Verdoux H, van Os J (2002) Psychotic symptoms in non-clinical populations and the continuum of psychosis. Schizophr Res 54:59–65

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Bak M, Myin-Germeys I, Hanssen M, Bijl R, Vollebergh W, Delespaul P, van Os J (2003) When does experience of psychosis result in a need for care? A prospective general population study. Schizophr Bull 29:349–358

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Krabbendam L, Myin-Germeys I, Hanssen M, Bijl RV, de Graaf R, Vollebergh W, Bak M, van Os J (2004) Hallucinatory experiences and onset of psychotic disorder: evidence that the risk is mediated by delusion formation. Acta Psychiatr Scand 110:264–272

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Bijl RV, Ravelli A, van Zessen G (1998) Prevalence of psychiatric disorder in the general population: results of The Netherlands Mental Health Survey and Incidence Study (NEMESIS). Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 33:587–595

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Bijl RV, van Zessen G, Ravelli A, de Rijk C, Langendoen Y (1998) The Netherlands Mental Health Survey and Incidence Study (NEMESIS): objectives and design. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 33:581–586

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Smeets RMW, Dingemans PMAJ (1993) Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) Version 1.1. World Health Organisation, Geneva, Switzerland

    Google Scholar 

  37. WHO (1990) Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) Version 1.0. World Health Organisation, Geneva: Switzerland

    Google Scholar 

  38. Wittchen HU, Robins LN, Cottler LB, Sartorius N, Burke JD, Regier D (1991) Cross-cultural feasibility, reliability and sources of variance of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI). The Multicentre WHO/ADAMHA Field Trials. Br J Psychiatry 159:645–653, 658

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Semler G, von Cranach M, Wittchen HU (1987) Comparison between the Composite International Diagnostic Interview and the Present State Examination: Report to the WHO/ADAMHA Task Force on Instrument Development. In: World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland

  40. Wacker HR, Battegay R, Mullejans R, Schlosser C (1990) Using the CIDI in the general population. In: Stefanis CN, Rabavilas AD, Soldatos CR (eds) Psychiatry : a world perspective. Elsevier Science Publishers, Amsterdam, pp 138–143

    Google Scholar 

  41. Blascovich J, Tomaka J (1991) Measures of self-esteem. In: Robinson JP, Shaver PR, Wrightsman LS, Andrews FM (eds) Measures of personality and social psychological attitudes. Academic Press, San Diego

    Google Scholar 

  42. Helbing JC (1982) Zelfwaardering: Meting en validiteit. Ned Tijdschr Psychol 37:257–277

    Google Scholar 

  43. Schmitt DP, Allik J (2005) Simultaneous administration of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale in 53 nations: exploring the universal and culture-specific features of global self-esteem. J Pers Soc Psychol 89:623–642

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  44. Rosenberg M, Schoenbach C, Schooler C, Rosenberg F (1995) Global self-esteem and specific self-esteem: Different concepts, different outcomes. Am Sociol Rev 60:141–156

    Article  Google Scholar 

  45. StataCorp (2005) Stata Statistical Software: Release 9.0. Stata Corporation, College Station, TX

    Google Scholar 

  46. Kernis MH, Waschull SB (1995) The interactive roles of stability and level of self-esteem: Research and theory. In: Zanna MP (eds) Advances in experimental social psychology. Academic Press, San Diego, pp 93–141

    Google Scholar 

  47. Kinderman P, Kaney S, Morley S, Bentall RP (1992) Paranoia and the defensive attributional style: deluded and depressed patients’ attributions about their own attributions. Br J Med Psychol 65(4):371–383

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  48. Bentall RP, Kaney S (2005) Attributional lability in depression and paranoia. Br J Clin Psychol 44:475–488

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the Dutch Ministry of Health.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jim van Os.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Thewissen, V., Myin-Germeys, I., Bentall, R. et al. Instability in self-esteem and paranoia in a general population sample. Soc Psychiat Epidemiol 42, 1–5 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-006-0136-1

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-006-0136-1

Keywords

Navigation