Paranoid Personality Disorder is a personality disorder that consists of a pervasive distrust or suspiciousness of others the the point that their motives are interpreted as malevolent. It is characterized by a pattern of distrust and suspiciousness of others. Individuals with this disorder tend to negatively interpret the actions, words, and intentions of others. They suspect that others intend to harm or deceive them, though there may be little supporting evidence for such concerns. Individuals can also hold grudges for long periods of time and are reluctant to confide in others.
A pervasive distrust and suspiciousness of others such that their motives are interpreted as malevolent, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by 4
(or more) of the following:
Does not occur exclusively during the course of schizophrenia, a bipolar disorder or depressive disorder with psychotic features, or another psychotic disorder and is not attributable to the physiological effects of another medical condition.
The main psychological defense used in paranoid personality disorder is projection.[8]
There have few studies on what treatments work best for individuals with paranoid personality disorder, given the nature of the disorder. Psychotherapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy and psychodynamic therapy have been recommended, though no formal trials have been done.[9] Regardless of the type of therapy used, the clinician should focus on improving the ability of the individual to trust others, and tolerate intimacy with others. Clinicians should be straightforward and careful about offering interpretations, especially in topics or areas that may feed into the individual's suspiciousness.
Guideline | Location | Year | Website | |
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World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry (WFSBP) | International | 2009 | - | Link |