Mindfulness for Paranoid Beliefs: Evidence from Two Case Studies

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.