Beyond Belief-New Approaches to the Treatment of Paranoia

TY - CHAP

T1 - Beyond Belief-New Approaches to the Treatment of Paranoia

AU - Garety, Philippa Anne

AU - Ward, Thomas

AU - Rus-Calafell, Mar

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

PY - 2019/1/1

Y1 - 2019/1/1

N2 - In this chapter we discuss fears of harm from others, also known as ‘paranoia’. We foreground the experiences of people who have lived experience and ask them to describe this in their own words. We consider defining features, disputed terminology, and theoretical perspectives. We relate how cognitive models conceptualise paranoia, including the proposition that it occurs on a continuum from everyday worries in the general population to more distressing and disruptive fears. We discuss contested ideas about ‘delusions’ as fixed beliefs and the role of appraisals, and offer a view, which emphasises dynamic processes of sense making and multidimensionality. We then turn to ways of engaging people and assessing some key aspects of thinking styles, ‘belief flexibility’. Recent research innovations are discussed, ‘causal interventionist’ research targeting mechanisms to improve treatment effectiveness, and digital innovations in treatment, such as virtual reality, mobile apps, and new blended treatments. Finally, we introduce SlowMo, a novel blended digital therapy for fears of harm from others.

AB - In this chapter we discuss fears of harm from others, also known as ‘paranoia’. We foreground the experiences of people who have lived experience and ask them to describe this in their own words. We consider defining features, disputed terminology, and theoretical perspectives. We relate how cognitive models conceptualise paranoia, including the proposition that it occurs on a continuum from everyday worries in the general population to more distressing and disruptive fears. We discuss contested ideas about ‘delusions’ as fixed beliefs and the role of appraisals, and offer a view, which emphasises dynamic processes of sense making and multidimensionality. We then turn to ways of engaging people and assessing some key aspects of thinking styles, ‘belief flexibility’. Recent research innovations are discussed, ‘causal interventionist’ research targeting mechanisms to improve treatment effectiveness, and digital innovations in treatment, such as virtual reality, mobile apps, and new blended treatments. Finally, we introduce SlowMo, a novel blended digital therapy for fears of harm from others.

KW - Delusions

KW - Digital

KW - Fast and slow thinking

KW - Fear of harm

KW - Paranoia

KW - SlowMo

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85100552724&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/B978-0-12-815012-2.00025-0

DO - 10.1016/B978-0-12-815012-2.00025-0

M3 - Chapter

AN - SCOPUS:85100552724

SP - 591

EP - 613

BT - A Clinical Introduction to Psychosis

PB - Elsevier

ER -