Mindfulness for psychosis 

Dr Lynn Ellet has been involved in a range of research in mindfulness for paranoia. Mindfulness helps people to become more aware of how they feel, what they think and the things around them. Paranoia can lead to suspicions that may not make sense and other people may not understand them.

In one study, Ellet researched mindfulness and paranoia using two participants who had upsetting and paranoid beliefs. They had less distress, anxiety and depression after mindfulness training. 

In another study, Ellet found that practising online mindfulness meditation reduced paranoia in people without psychosis. Furthermore, the amount that the participant’s mindfulness skills changed affected the amount that their paranoia levels changed. This suggests that short and online mindfulness can reduce paranoia in the general population.

A different study by Ellet researched participants with psychosis having group mindfulness therapy alongside their usual treatment. They ran a small trial of an experiment during which the participants were happy with the treatment and some even had less depression afterwards. 

Similarly, Ellet investigated the benefit of online group mindfulness-based interventions in routine care for people with psychosis. Participants who attended online mindfulness group sessions had less depression, less anxiety and fewer beliefs about voices. So, online mindfulness groups could be useful for people with psychosis when offered in routine care.

Furthermore, in a review by Ellet of studies on mindfulness for psychosis, participants had fewer psychotic symptoms after practising mindfulness.

Paranoia in the general population 

Another area of research that Ellet has been involved in is paranoia in the general population. 

Ellet investigated how common paranoia was in the general population. Just under half of the participants had experienced paranoia which suggested that paranoia is common in the general population. Those who had experienced paranoia also tended to have lower self-esteem. 

In other research, Ellet also researched the link between narcissism (traits often include arrogance, lack of empathy and high self-importance) and paranoia. Results suggested 

that participants high in narcissism are more dependent on self-protection strategies. As a result, they may experience more paranoia as they are more defensive against potential threats.

In a different study, Ellet tested the effect of someone feeling harmed by another person in an online game. Participants who were harmed by someone felt more paranoia. Also, participants whose personalities were naturally more forgiving were less paranoid. Therefore, being less forgiving may cause paranoia.