Mindfulness for paranoia
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Mindfulness therapy for persecutory delusions: A randomised controlled trial.
IRAS ID
327504
Contact name
L Ellett
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Southampton
ISRCTN Number
ISRCTN16318074
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 6 months, 2 days
Research summary
Many people with a diagnosis of Schizophrenia experience persecutory delusions, thinking that other people are intentionally trying to harm or kill them. Persecutory delusions are often associated with high levels of depression and distress. Psychological therapies that use mindfulness, a form of meditation, are being used to help people who experience mental health problems. Until recently, these therapies have rarely been made available to people with a diagnosis of Schizophrenia, despite the significant level of need within this group. Our research team have adapted
mindfulness meditation for people who hear distressing voices and have developed a mindfulness-based group therapy. This therapy has been found to be beneficial as voice hearers reported reduced distress, and improved psychological health. However, very little research has been done to examine whether mindfulness-based therapies are helpful for people who experience persecutory delusions. We conducted a pilot study with 27 individuals who experience persecutory delusions as their primary psychotic
symptom. 14 people received mindfulness-based therapy offered in a group format over a 12-session period. The pilot study showed both feasibility (recruitment occurred within the pre-set time frame and 96% of people were retained in the study), and the therapy was acceptable to service users (all people who were offered therapy completed it). As the pilot study was successful, we are now progressing to the full clinical trial where we will recruit 144 individuals who will either receive the 12 week mindfulness group therapy or their usual treatment. We want to determine the clinical and cost effectiveness of the therapy.REC name
London - Bromley Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
24/LO/0141
Date of REC Opinion
4 Mar 2024
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion