Insecure attachment predicts proneness to paranoia but not hallucinations

This study investigates the relationship between attachment, paranoid beliefs and hallucinatory experiences. Five hundred and three students completed online questionnaires, including the persecution and deservedness scale, the Launay–Slade hallucination scale, Bartholomew and Horowitz’s relationship questionnaire, Levenson’s multidimensional locus of control scale and measures of self-esteem and anticipation of threatening events. After comorbidity between paranoia and hallucinations was controlled for, insecure attachment predicted paranoia (persecution) but not hallucinations. The extent to which persecution was perceived to be deserved was predicted by low self-esteem. Negative self-esteem, anticipation of threatening events and a perception of others as powerful mediated the relationship between attachment insecurity and persecutory paranoia. The findings indicate that insecure attachment is specifically related to paranoid beliefs.