OBJECTIVE: The current study aimed to examine the association of implicit self-esteem, explicit self-esteem and their interaction with paranoia and attributional bias. The relationship of the size and the direction of the discrepancy between implicit and explicit self-esteem with paranoia and attributional bias was examined. METHODS: A total of 128 female college students participated. We administered the Implicit Association Test to assess implicit self-esteem, and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale to measure explicit self-esteem. Paranoia Scale was used, and the attributional bias was assessed using the Ambiguous Intentions Hostility Questionnaire. RESULTS: Results showed that explicit but not implicit self-esteem was negatively associated with paranoia, blame bias and hostility perception bias in ambiguous situations. The interaction of implicit and explicit self-esteem was associated with hostility perception in ambiguous situations. As for the discrepancy, the size of the discrepancy between implicit and explicit self-esteem was positively associated with hostility perception in ambiguous situations. Moreover, the direction of the discrepancy was specifically relevant: damaged self-esteem (high implicit and low explicit self-esteem) was associated with increased levels of paranoia, blame bias and hostility perception in ambiguous situations. CONCLUSION: These findings provide new insights into the role of the implicit and explicit self-esteem in attributional bias and paranoia and point to damaged self-esteem as a possible vulnerability marker for illogical attribution of blaming others and perceiving hostility in social situations.
Bias (Epidemiology) ; Female ; Hostility ; Humans ; Intention ; Paranoid Disorders

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to compare psychological test profiles of psychiatric outpatients with high and low depression/suicide ideation and to identify predictor variables for depression/suicide ideation. METHODS: Component scores of the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) and Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) were compared using t-tests. Discriminant analysis was conducted for predictor variables of depression/suicide ideation. RESULTS: Regarding PAI profiles, somatic complaints (SOM), anxiety (ANX), anxiety-related disorder (ARD), depression (DEP), paranoia (PAR), borderline features (BOR), antisocial features (ANT), mania (MAN) drug problems (DRG) scores were significantly elevated in high depression and high suicide ideation groups. Concerning MMPI-2 profiles, the scores of hypochondriasis (Hs), depression (D), hysteria (Hy), psychopathic deviate (Pd), paranoia (Pa), psychasthenia (Pt), schizophrenia (Sc), social introversion (Si) were significantly elevated in these same groups. The PAI and MMPI-2 profile shapes were remarkably similar between high depression and high suicide ideation groups. Therefore, in terms of psychological profile, depression and suicidal ideation seemed to reflect the same construct. However, in discriminant analysis, significant predictors for depression were found to be Pt and D Sc from MMPI-2, while those for suicide ideation were found to be Pa and Sc, suggest subtle differences. CONCLUSION: The superficial characteristics of depression and suicide ideation groups reflected by the psychological test profiles seemed similar, but the determining factors may differ. Thus, the psychological interventions for these two groups may have to follow different routes considering these subtle differences.
Anxiety ; Bipolar Disorder ; Depression ; Discriminant Analysis ; Humans ; Hypochondriasis ; Hysteria ; Introversion (Psychology) ; Minnesota ; Outpatients ; Paranoid Disorders ; Personality Assessment ; Psychological Tests ; Schizophrenia ; Suicidal Ideation ; Suicide

BACKGROUND: Psychogenic non epileptic seizures (PNES) are characterized by repeated seizures that are typically caused by stress and psychologic problems such as anxiety and depression. This contrasts with epileptic seizures (ES), which are transient and caused by irregular excitement of nerve cells. PNES can be found in patients with ES, but due to their differing etiologies, it is important to determine the psychologic characteristics that differentiate PNES from ES. METHODS: This study identified psychopathologic and personality traits in 137 patients with PNES (n=7, 49.3% female) or ES (n=0, 35.7% female) using MMPI. The diagnosis was based on a medical history of seizures and the clinical examination in patients who visited the epilepsy clinic. Statistical analyses for comparing MMPI differences between the two groups were conducted using the t-test, chi-square test, and analysis of covariance. RESULTS: We analyzed the frequency of individuals who exhibited a T score of ≥5 on the MMPI, and the results indicated that there were significantly more patients in the PNES group than in the ES group who had elevated scores on the hypochondriasis (Hs) scale and hysteria (Hy) scale. The mean scores of Hs, Hy, paranoia scale and schizophrenia scale were significantly higher in the PNES group than in the ES group. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that patients with PNES have greater psychologic problems than ES patients. Differences in MMPI profile patterns between patients with PNES and ES may be helpful in tailoring appropriate therapeutic interventions for the two groups.
Anxiety ; Depression ; Diagnosis ; Epilepsy* ; Humans ; Hypochondriasis ; Hysteria ; MMPI* ; Neurons ; Paranoid Disorders ; Schizophrenia ; Seizures*

BACKGROUND: Delusions of parasitosis (DOP) is a psychiatric disorder in which patients have a fixed, false belief that they are infested by parasites. Management of patients with DOP presents a challenge to dermatologists, because such patients usually refuse to see a psychiatrist. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical manifestations and responses to treatment in DOP patients. METHODS: Between January 2010 and December 2012, the medical records of 32 DOP patients were reviewed to obtain data on clinical presentation, family history, accompanied psychiatric disorders, and treatments. RESULTS: The male-to-female ratio was 1:4.3. Twenty-two patients (68.8%) had symptoms for over 6 months. Seven patients (21.9%) had apparent skin lesions. Eighteen patients (56.3%) had a positive specimen sign. Three patients had depression, 4 had insomnia, and 2 had other delusional disorders. Eight patients (25%) reported that their family members were also experiencing itching. Six patients underwent skin biopsies, the results of which were consistent with chronic dermatitis. With pimozide treatment, 6 patients (18.8%) achieved complete remission, 17 (53.1%) showed a partial response, and 9 (28.1%) showed no response. CONCLUSION: Because DOP patients depend on dermatologists for treatment, it is crucial for dermatologists to be prepared for the proper management of this condition. This study expands our understanding of the disease and suggests the optimal methods of treatment. Further studies on socioeconomic data and selection of effective antipsychotics are needed.
Antipsychotic Agents ; Biopsy ; Delusions* ; Depression ; Dermatitis ; Dermatology* ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Parasites ; Pimozide ; Pruritus ; Psychiatry ; Retrospective Studies* ; Schizophrenia, Paranoid ; Skin ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders

OBJECTIVES: Obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) and insomnia are two of the most common sleep disorders in the general population. Because OSAHS patients with insomnia may have difficulty in adapting to the sleep breathing medical equipment, it is necessary to pay special attention to the diagnosis and treatment of comorbid insomnia. This study is to investigate the emotion and personality in OSAHS patients with insomnia complaints by using Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2). METHODS: We reviewed the results of the standardized questionnaires assessing sleep-related variables, MMPI, and polysomnographic findings of the patients diagnosed as OSAHS. RESULTS: 145 subjects were 49.05+/-11.83 years of age. The mean Respiratory Disturbance Index was 33.57+/-19.91 and the mean score of Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) was 11.52+/-6.49. The mean scores of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and MMPI-2 were within normal ranges. We divided the patients into two groups based on the scores of the ISI, OSAHS with insomnia (n=109) and OSAHS without insomnia (n=36). OSAHS patients with insomnia symptoms had significantly higher scores of hypochondriasis, hysteria, psychasthenia, schizophrenia, paranoia and psychopathic deviate scales and BDI than those without insomnia. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that insomnia complaints are very common in OSAHS patients and the psychological problems are more frequently found in OSAHS patients with insomnia symptom than those without it.
Depression ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Hypochondriasis ; Hysteria ; Minnesota* ; MMPI* ; Paranoid Disorders ; Polysomnography ; Reference Values ; Respiration ; Schizophrenia ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive* ; Sleep Wake Disorders ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders* ; Weights and Measures

OBJECTIVE: The primary goals of the present study were to assess intellectual function in participants with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder (BD) and to investigate the relationships between cognitive decline and the severity of each type of psychopathology. METHODS: The present study included 51 patients with schizophrenia and 42 with BD who were recruited from the psychiatry outpatient clinic of Jeju University Hospital between March 2011 and March 2014. The Korean Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (K-WAIS) was administered to each of the 93 participants, and they were categorized into two groups based on their current intelligence quotient (IQ) and their estimated premorbid IQ: severely impaired group (SIG) and mildly impaired group (MIG). The Minnesota Multiple Personality Inventory (MMPI) and the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) were used to assess psychopathology. RESULTS: The SIG schizophrenia participants exhibited significantly higher scores on the frequent (F) and schizophrenia (Sc) subscales of the MMPI, but significantly lower scores on the correction (K) and psychopathic deviate (Pd) subscales compared with the MIG schizophrenia participants. Furthermore, the BPRS scores were significantly higher in the SIG schizophrenia participants relative to the MIG schizophrenia participants. The SIG BD participants had significantly higher F, masculinity-femininity (Mf), paranoia (Pa), and Sc but significantly lower Pd scores compared with the MIG BD participants. CONCLUSION: The present findings revealed a significant discrepancy between the estimated premorbid levels of cognitive function and current cognitive function in participants with schizophrenia or BD. Moreover, this discrepancy was correlated with severity of psychopathology in both groups.
Adult ; Ambulatory Care Facilities ; Bipolar Disorder* ; Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale ; Cognition ; Humans ; Intelligence ; Minnesota ; MMPI ; Multiple Personality Disorder ; Paranoid Disorders ; Psychopathology* ; Schizophrenia*

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between social exclusion and paranoid ideation, and to explore moderating and mediating effects of depression and self-esteem in that relationship. METHODS: Ninety seven neurosis patients receiving treatment in a psychiatric outpatient setting were selected. Social Exclusion Scale, Beck Depression Inventory, paranoia scale of Symptom Checklist-90-Revised, and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale were used for evaluation. RESULTS: Social exclusion showed highly positive correlation with paranoid ideation, and had significant influence. Among three types of social exclusion, contempt, bullying, and isolation, only isolation showed significant influence on paranoid ideation. Depression showed a partial mediating effect on that relationship indicating that social exclusion affects paranoid ideation not only directly, but also indirectly. On the other hand, self-esteem showed no moderating or mediating effects on that relationship. CONCLUSION: Depression mediates the influence of social exclusion on paranoid ideation. This finding provides an opportunity to decrease paranoid ideation of neurosis patients by not only prescription of antipsychotic agents but also therapeutic approach to social exclusion and depression. An experimental study to verify these findings seems to be needed.
Antipsychotic Agents ; Bullying ; Depression* ; Hand ; Humans ; Negotiating* ; Outpatients ; Paranoid Disorders ; Prescriptions ; Social Isolation

OBJECTIVES: Paranoia is a complex phenomenon, affected by a number of factors such as depression, trait anxiety, and attributional bias in schizophrenia. The aim of this study was to explore whether paranoia within continuum of clinical and subclinical states is associated with emotional dysregulation, attributional bias and neurocognitive impairment in whole individuals of normal controls, ultra-high risk (UHR) for psychosis and schizophrenia. METHODS: 101 normal controls, 50 participants at UHR for psychosis, and 49 schizophrenia patients were recruited. All subjects were asked to complete self-reported paranoia scale and emotional dysregulation scales including Rosenberg's self-esteem, Spielberg's state-trait anxiety inventory and Beck depression inventory. The attributional style was assessed by Ambiguous Intentions Hostility Questionnaire (AIHQ). Participants were also requested to complete the comprehensive neurocognitive battery. RESULTS: Multiple linear regression analysis showed that paranoia were found to be associated with emotional dysregulation (state anxiety, trait anxiety and depression), composite blaming bias in ambiguous situation, impairment of attention and working memory in whole participants [F (9, 190)=34.85, p<0.001, adjusted R2=0.61]. CONCLUSION: The main findings suggest that paranoia is a complex affective and cognitive structure that may be associated with emotional dysregulation, blaming bias and attention and working memory impairment in clinical and non-clinical paranoia.
Anxiety ; Bias (Epidemiology)* ; Depression ; Hostility ; Humans ; Intention ; Linear Models ; Memory, Short-Term ; Paranoid Disorders* ; Psychotic Disorders* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Schizophrenia* ; Weights and Measures

OBJECTIVE: Differential diagnosis between post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and adjustment disorder (AD) is rather difficult, but very important to the assignment of appropriate treatment and prognosis. This study investigated methods to differentiate PTSD and AD. METHODS: Twenty-five people with PTSD and 24 people with AD were recruited. Memory tests, the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory 2 (MMPI-2), and Beck's Depression Inventory were administered. RESULTS: There were significant decreases in immediate verbal recall and delayed verbal recognition in the participants with PTSD. The reduced memory functions of participants with PTSD were significantly influenced by depressive symptoms. Hypochondriasis, hysteria, psychopathic deviate, paranoia, schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder scale of MMPI-2 classified significantly PTSD and AD group. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that verbal memory assessments and the MMPI-2 could be useful for discriminating between PTSD and AD.
Accidents, Traffic* ; Adjustment Disorders* ; Depression ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Hypochondriasis ; Hysteria ; Memory Disorders ; Memory* ; MMPI ; Paranoid Disorders ; Prognosis ; Schizophrenia ; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic*

OBJECTIVE: The relationship between paranoia symptoms and underlying prefrontal cortex mechanisms among healthy subjects was analyzed using near-infrared spectroscopy. METHODS: Seventy-eight healthy subjects were assessed for paranoia symptoms using the Japanese version of the Paranoia Checklist. Changes in hemoglobin concentrations were assessed using 2-channel near-infrared spectroscopy on the surface of the prefrontal cortex while subjects performed a verbal fluency test. RESULTS: Changes in the concentration of oxygenated hemoglobin in the prefrontal cortex during a verbal fluency test did not correlate with the Japanese version of the Paranoia Checklist. CONCLUSION: Our findings show that the symptoms of paranoia do not negatively affect the prefrontal cortex function among healthy subjects.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Checklist ; Humans ; Oxygen ; Paranoid Disorders* ; Prefrontal Cortex ; Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared