Experiences of Adults with Grandiose Beliefs
Research type
Research Study
Full title
People who experience "Grandiose Beliefs'" understanding of their interpersonal relationships and self esteem.
IRAS ID
166615
Contact name
Lana Renny
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Canterbury Christchurch University
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 5 months, 2 days
Research summary
Grandiose delusions (GDs) have been defined as false beliefs featuring an inflated sense of worth (APA, 2000). For example, individuals with this type of delusion may believe they are someone special or famous, that they have special powers or that they are related to someone famous, despite these beliefs not being shared by others. These kinds of beliefs have been shown to be common in those who have psychosis, but there is little research into understanding the experience. Researchers and interventions/ therapy, have shifted away from focusing on the diagnosis of psychosis, to focusing on individual symptoms or experiences(e.g. GD's, persecutory delusions or hallucinations in psychosis). The development of successful psychological interventions for GDs lags behind those for persecutory delusions and hallucinations(Knowles, McCarthy-Jones and Rowse, 2011).
There are conflicting theories of GD's and little evidence to support them(Knowles, McCarthy-Jones and Rowse, 2011), however it has been found that interpersonal difficulties and feelings of powerlessness have been reported in the onset and following the emergence of the beliefs (Rhodes and Jakes, 2010). This study hopes to explore this in more depth from the a first person perspective, in order to better understand the relationship between these factors.
The hope is that this will assist researchers and clinicians to better understand these types of experiences and provide information for interventions and further research. The Study will consist of semi-structured interviews with 8 working age adults who experience Grandiose beliefs. They will be recruited through an NHS Community Mental Health Service. The interviews will last up to an hour and a half and will focus on the person's understanding of their experiences.
REC name
London - City & East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/LO/0022
Date of REC Opinion
25 Jan 2015
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion