ABSTRACT

Background and Objectives: The role of interpretation bias in generating and maintaining persecutory beliefs/paranoid ideation is becoming established in the literature, but how negative mood affects this relationship remains unclear. The current study investigated the mediating role of anxiety and depression in the association between interpretation bias and paranoia in patients with persistent paranoia.

Methods/Design: We applied the mediation model to clinical data gathered from patients with persistent paranoia (N = 62), and compared how levels of depression and anxiety affected the association between interpretation bias and paranoia.

Results: Interpretation bias and anxiety accounted for 43% of the variance in paranoia, while interpretation bias and depression explained 31% of this variance. Levels of anxiety, but not depression, partially mediated the relationship between interpretation bias and paranoid beliefs. Our data suggest that the association between interpretation bias and paranoid beliefs takes effect partly, although not completely, through heightened levels of anxiety.

Conclusions: The current study highlighted the role of anxiety as a mediator in the association between interpretation bias and paranoid beliefs in patients with distressing paranoia. These findings inform the potential mechanism underlying cognitive interventions for pathological paranoia.

Trial registration: Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN: 90749868. Retrospectively registered on 12 May 2016.

摘要

背景和目标：解释偏见在产生和维持迫害信念/偏执观念中的作用正在文献中得到确立，但负面情绪如何影响这种关系仍不清楚。目前的研究调查了焦虑和抑郁在持续性偏执狂患者的解释偏误和偏执之间的关系中的中介作用。

方法/设计：我们将中介模型应用于从持续性妄想症患者（N  = 62）收集的临床数据，并比较抑郁和焦虑水平如何影响解释偏差和妄想症之间的关联。

结果：解释偏差和焦虑占偏执狂方差的 43%，而解释偏差和抑郁解释了该方差的 31%。焦虑程度，但不是抑郁程度，部分调节了解释偏差和偏执信念之间的关系。我们的数据表明，解释偏差和偏执信念之间的关联通过焦虑程度的提高部分（尽管不是完全）起作用。

结论：目前的研究强调了焦虑作为中介在痛苦的偏执狂患者的解释偏差和偏执信念之间的关联中的作用。这些发现为病理性偏执狂的认知干预的潜在机制提供了信息。

试验注册：当前对照试验 ISRCTN：90749868。回顾性注册于 2016 年 5 月 12 日。