In a randomized controlled trial, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) reduced momentary paranoia and increased feelings of social acceptance in daily life among people with residual mood instability after major depression. Paranoia decreased significantly in the MBCT group and increased in the waiting-list control group, while social acceptance rose in the MBCT group and fell in controls. MBCT also weakened the link between paranoia and lower social acceptance. The findings suggest MBCT can interrupt social processes that maintain subclinical paranoia.
Psychotic experiences (like mild hallucinations or delusions) are common and often temporary in the general population. This study tested whether they become abnormally persistent when combined with environmental factors such as cannabis use, childhood trauma, and urban living. Using two large Dutch and German population samples, the authors found that persistence rates were low overall (26% and 31%) but increased progressively with more environmental exposures. Among those exposed to both environmental risks and baseline psychotic experiences, 21%-83% (Dutch sample) and 29%-51% (German sample) had persistent symptoms due to the synergistic interaction of these factors. The authors argue that environmental risks combine additively and synergistically with non-clinical psychotic experiences to drive persistence and eventual need for care.