Turning the Curse into a Blessing
: Using Mindfulness to Reduce Suspiciousness/Paranoia in Individuals with High Positive Schizotypy

Student thesis: Doctoral ThesisDoctor of Philosophy

Abstract

Positive schizotypy, the aspects of which include magical thinking, unusual perceptual experiences, ideas of reference and suspiciousness/paranoia, has emerged as a significant predictor of schizophrenia-spectrum disorders, with suspiciousness/paranoia regarded a key risk factor. On the other side of the coin, positive schizotypy (predominantly magical thinking/unusual experiences) is positively linked to creativity; however, mixed findings have been previously reported, which may be due to suspiciousness/paranoia having an unfavourable effect upon the relationship. Previous research has also shown that experienced mindfulness meditators have lower suspiciousness/paranoia in the presence of higher magical thinking. In Study 1, a general population sample of 342 participants completed an online study to investigate the interrelationship among positive schizotypy, creative experience and dispositional mindfulness. Findings indicated a significant attenuating effect of suspiciousness upon the positive relationship of magical thinking and unusual perceptual experiences with positive-affect/pleasurable flow-type creative experience. Further, higher dispositional mindfulness was significantly associated with lower suspiciousness.

The mechanism(s) which may underlie the link between positive schizotypy and creativity is presently unclear; information processing theories of schizophrenia argue that it may in part result from reduced ability to filter sensory information. Yet, decreased sensory information filtering (a more open information processing style) has also been observed in highly creative individuals, pointing to a view that reduced sensory information filtering may present both psychosis risk and creative potential. Previous research has also shown that, alongside lower suspiciousness/paranoia and higher magical thinking, experienced mindfulness meditators show attenuated sensory information filtering. To investigate whether attenuated sensory information filtering, as indexed by auditory startle habituation, mediates the relationship between positive schizotypy and creativity, a subset of 101 individuals from Study 1 participated in Study 2, split into high and low-to-moderate positive schizotypy groups. Additionally, Study 2 assessed creativity using multiple measures - both self-report and objective (lab-based) tasks. Individuals with high positive schizotypy were found to have significantly elevated scores on all aspects of creative experience, and significantly wider associative thinking style compared with individuals who had low-to-moderate positive schizotypy. However, the groups did not differ on divergent thinking performance or a subjective measure of creative personality. Suspiciousness attenuated the relationship between magical thinking and some, but not all, dimensions of creativity. However, there were no differences between two groups in the rate of habituation and it did not mediate the positive associations between positive schizotypy and creativity.

Last but not least, Study 3 explored mindfulness training for reducing suspiciousness/paranoia in a sub-set of individuals from Study 2 who were high in positive schizotypy with high suspiciousness/paranoia. A pilot randomised control trial with an active control examined the feasibility, acceptability and efficacy of a 40-day online mindfulness-based intervention on trait and state (using virtual reality methodology) paranoia as compared with reflective journaling (N = 12 per group). Results indicated both feasibility and acceptability (100% retention rate), with a medium-to-large effect size observed for state - but not trait – paranoid ideation in favour of the mindfulness-based intervention.

The research highlights worth in considering the multidimensionality of both positive schizotypy and creativity in future examinations of the relationship between the two, with particular attention paid to the potential influence of suspiciousness/paranoia. Additional research, using paradigms which tap into different aspects (e.g. pre-attentive vs. attentive) of sensory information filtering, is recommended for further insight into the mechanisms underlining the link between positive schizotypy and creativity. The findings are consistent with the proposal for using mindfulness to mitigate risk of psychosis development in individuals high in positive schizotypy with high suspiciousness/paranoia and provide a stepping-stone towards developing low-cost and easily accessible mindfulness-based interventions to alleviate psychosis risk whilst preserving the aspects associated with creativity, aiding the flourishing of both the individuals and the society.
Date of Award1 Dec 2021
Original languageEnglish
Awarding Institution
  • King's College London
SupervisorElena Antonova (Supervisor), Lucia Valmaggia (Supervisor) & Paul Chadwick (Supervisor)

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