Mindfulness for paranoid beliefs: evidence from two case studies.
Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy September 14, 2012 DOI: 10.1017/s1352465812000586 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case study Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 2 |
| Population | People with persecutory delusions in the absence of voices |
| Intervention | Mindfulness training |
| Duration | Therapy with assessments at baseline, end of therapy, and 1-month follow-up |
| Topics | Depression Meditation |
| Keywords | Humans Follow-up studies Delusions Awareness Anxiety disorders Paranoid disorders Culture Adult Middle aged Male Surveys and questionnaires Cognitive behavioral therapy |
| Key findings | Both participants showed reductions in conviction, distress, preoccupation, and impact of paranoid beliefs, as well as in anxiety and depression, from baseline to end of mindfulness therapy, with gains maintained at one-month follow-up. The authors suggest mindfulness training can affect cognition and affect specifically associated with paranoid beliefs and may be relevant to both 'Poor Me' and 'Bad Me' paranoia. |
Abstract
Background: Emerging evidence suggests that mindfulness can be beneficial for people with distressing psychosis. This study examined the hypothesis that for people with persecutory delusions in the absence of voices, mindfulness training would lead to reductions in conviction, distress, preoccupation and impact of paranoid beliefs, as well as anxiety and depression.
Method: Two case studies are presented. Participants completed measures of mindfulness, anxiety and depression at baseline, end of therapy and 1 month follow-up, and bi-weekly ratings of their paranoid belief on the dimensions of conviction, preoccupation, distress and impact.
Results: Ratings of conviction, distress, impact and preoccupation, and measures of anxiety and depression, reduced for both participants from baseline to end of intervention. Improvements in mindfulness of distressing thoughts and images occurred for both participants. These gains were maintained at 1 month follow-up.
Conclusions: Findings suggest that mindfulness training can impact on cognition and affect specifically associated with paranoid beliefs, and is potentially relevant to both Poor Me and Bad Me paranoia.
Comparable studies
Other case reports and case series on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brain sources of EEG gamma frequency during volitionally meditation-induced, altered states of consciousness, and experience of the self Advanced meditator | 2001 | Case study | n = 1 |
| Mindfulness Meditation for Alcohol Relapse Prevention: A Feasibility Pilot Study Adult alcohol-dependent graduates of an intensive outpatient program | 2008 | Prospective case series | n = 19 |
| How does it feel to lack a sense of boundaries? A case study of a long-term mindfulness meditator. A single long-term mindfulness practitioner (S) with 40 years of practice in... | 2015 | Qualitative case study | n = 1 |
| Loving‐kindness meditation to enhance recovery from negative symptoms of schizophrenia Individuals suffering from schizophrenia-spectrum disorders with persistent negative... | 2009 | Case study | |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Problem Gambling A female problem gambler | 2011 | Case study | n = 1 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 6
- The sustained effect of 5-week EmotionCore mindfulness training on emotion regulation and emotional intelligence: heterogeneous benefits for depression and anxiety across subgroups Frontiers in Psychiatry July 18, 2025
- Mindfulness and psychotic-like experiences in nonclinical populations: a systematic review and two meta-analyses. Psychological Medicine February 4, 2026
- A definitive randomised controlled trial of a group mindfulness-based psychological therapy for people with psychosis: the MIND-P study. BMC Psychiatry November 26, 2025
- Self-Structure in Persecutory Delusions. Behavior Therapy 2023
- A randomised trial comparing a brief online delivery of mindfulness-plus-values versus values only for symptoms of depression: Does baseline severity matter? Journal of Affective Disorders July 21, 2020
and 1 more in the library