Persecution and Personal Goals v1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Goal-directed thinking and depression in people with persecutory delusions
IRAS ID
144259
Contact name
Natasha Vorontsova
Contact email
Research summary
A persecutory delusion is an unfounded or unrealistic belief that harm is occurring, or is going to occur, to the self, and that the perpetrator intends to cause harm. Such beliefs are often held by people experiencing psychosis, resulting in significant distress and impairment. About half of people with such beliefs are also significantly depressed, and this is thought to perpetuate the distressing persecutory beliefs. Depression is therefore a candidate target for psychological therapies for this group. Depression has a known connection with reduced awareness of personally motivating goals. This study will measure the presence of personally motivating goals in people with persecutory delusions, and how this relates to depression. If depression draws people away from meaningful goals, this could reduce motivation to engage in activities, reducing exposure to available information, and thus prevent belief change. The present study aims to test the hypothesis that depression is associated with less accessibility of meaningful goals in people with persecutory delusions, and to draw a profile of what kinds of goals are motivating for this group. Psychological therapies for psychosis can be improved through clarification of the mechanisms connecting affective and psychotic symptoms, as well as the types of goals that might drive individuals to change.
REC name
London - Camden & Kings Cross Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/LO/0549
Date of REC Opinion
20 May 2014
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion