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Since its conceptual origins, borderline personality has been deeply intertwined with psychosis. Although initially thought to be on the ‘borderline’ to psychosis (hence its label) (Knight, 1953; Stern, 1938), afflicted individuals were eventually recognized to be suffering from a distinct syndrome of primarily neurotic features. This ‘borderline’ (to psychosis) syndrome was formally recognized in 1980, when it was included in DSM-III, and has since been defined in terms of affective instability and extreme interpersonal sensitivity (see Gunderson, 2009). Psychosis, on the other hand, has been defined as a constellation of positive (i.e., delusions or hallucinations), negative (e.g., flat affect and anhedonia), and disorganized (e.g., thought disorder) symptoms (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Despite their historical affiliation, the two syndromes are now considered distinct, with almost no research existing on their relation. As a consequence, little is understood about how the modern conceptions of the ‘psychotic’ and ‘borderline’ constructs relate to each other. In this study, we aim to address this gap in the literature, by applying state-of-the-art machine-learning and network psychometric methods on three large, representative samples of the UK population (N > 20,000) to reveal ‘phenomenological’ similarities, as well as key differences, across the two psychiatric conditions.

This project aims to formalize the psychological theory of ''attribution'', which dates back to the work of Fritz Heider in the 1980s (e.g., Heider, 1983). Since its conceptual origins, attribution theory has been highly influential, having been fruitfully applied to various scientific disciplines (beyond psychology), including sports science, marketing, law, and education (please see attached research proposal for a thorough literature and historical overview of attribution theory). Despite its widespread success, though, several limitations persist. The most notable limitation of this theory (which extends to similar psychological theories, as well) includes its constraint to the verbal level of explanation. As we argue in the attached research proposal, theories that are specified at the verbal level are limited, both in terms of their explanatory depth and predictive power. In this project, we aim to address this limitation of attribution theory, by re-specifying it using the formal language of mathematics. Following recent trends in theoretical psychology (e.g., Robinaugh, Haslbeck et al., 2021), as well as more traditional approaches from mathematical psychology (e.g., Coombs, Dawes, and Tversky, 1970), we aim to employ differential equations so as to specify how various kinds of attribution processes ‘generate’ various emotional responses. By building a computational model of attribution processes, we hope to demonstrate how attributional ‘styles’ (that is, persistent ways of attributing putative ‘causes’ to particular life experiences) could lead to various emotional ''attractor states'' (from ‘depression,’ to ‘paranoid ideation,’ and beyond). More generally, by demonstrating how to ‘translate’ a verbal theory into a mathematical one, we hope to inspire other psychological researchers to transform their ways of thinking and theorizing, from more verbal to computational ones.

The COVID-19 Psychological Research Consortium Study (C19PRC Study) aims to assess and monitor the psychological and social impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the general population, using longitudinal surveys and mixed-methods studies in multiple countries. This pre-registration document outlines a set of research questions, and expected results, for data collected on mental health difficulties (clinically relevant anxiety-depression and COVID-19 related traumatic stress) across eight C19PRC-UK study waves.

The COVID-19 Psychological Research Consortium Study (C19PRC Study) aims to assess and monitor the psychological and social impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the general population, using longitudinal surveys and mixed-methods studies in multiple countries.

When the first UK national lockdown was announced, large numbers of the population began purchasing non-perishable foods and hygiene items in quantities that exceeded their usual weekly shop. This so called ‘over-purchasing’ was featured in news outlets and led to total stockouts of items including canned food and toilet paper in several UK supermarkets. To understand the psychological characteristics that were associated with the tendency to panic buy, several studies have considered the psychological and demographic predictors of this behaviour (e.g., Bentall et al., 2021; Garbe et al., 2020). The former of these studies found that participants who reported having a higher income were more likely to engage in panic buying, as these individuals had greater means of stockpiling resources relative to members of the population with a lower income. Far from being an irrational strategy, for those with access to the means to hoard, this may be a rational behaviour to avoid resource scarcity and is observed in several animal species during periods of uncertainty (Anselme & Güntürkün, 2020; Dickins & Schalz, 2020). As the response of the virus has become increasingly protracted, the economic impacts of the pandemic have grown. Current estimates of the cost of the pandemic to the UK Government have been estimated at 317 billion pounds as of September 2020. In the private sector, this has led to the closing of a number of businesses either temporarily or permanently. As such, some members of the population have experienced a fall in income due to job loss or being placed on the Government’s furlough scheme. However, other groups in the population have experienced the opposite effect: with fewer leisure activities to spend their disposable income on, some individuals have reported increases in wealth due to the pandemic (Institute for Fiscal Studies, 2020). As income predicted over purchasing during the first wave of the pandemic, the current study will examine how changes to income during the COVID-19 pandemic affect this behaviour. Specifically, we will examine whether those who experience a reduction to their income report a decline in over-purchasing, and whether those who experience an increase in their income report an increase in over purchasing behaviour. We also examine whether psychological variables contribute to longitudinal changes in over purchasing behaviour.

Established in March 2020, the COVID-19 Psychological Research Consortium (C19PRC) Study is a dynamic, longitudinal, multi-country study which aims to monitor and evaluate the psychological, socio-economic, and political impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the lives of adults living in the UK, Republic of Ireland, Spain, and Italy (McBride et al., 2020). The UK-strand of the C19PRC Study (C19PRC-UK) is the ‘parent’ strand of the Consortium upon which other countries model their survey design, content, and fieldwork procedures. Methodological reports for the C19PRC Study in the UK and other countries are available elsewhere (Bruno et al., 2021; McBride et al., 2021a; McBride et al., 2021b; McBride et al., 2020; Spikol et al., 2021; Valiente et al., 2020; Valiente et al., 2021). This pre-registration document outlines a set of research questions, and expected results, for data collected on mental health during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe. This pre-registration has been submitted prior to conducting any network analyses on the combined C19PRC data from the UK, Republic of Ireland, Spain and Italy.

The authoritarian personality (Adorno et al., 1950) has been a subject of great interest for social and political psychologists alike; however, research has traditionally focused on studying the psychopathology and behavioural consequences of far-right ideology and right-wing authoritarianism (RWA). Since its inception, the literature has largely ignored the left end of this spectrum, with some scholars suggesting left-wing authoritarianism (LWA) is an extremely rare phenomena, or dismissing its existence entirely (Stone, 1980; Stone & Smith, 1993; Altemeyer, 1996). More recently, however, exploration into the conceptualisation of LWA has emerged, building a more precise framework of psychological, ideological, and behavioural factors integral to LWA. Costello and colleagues’ (2020-in pres), for example, have developed an in-depth conceptualisation of this so-called “Loch Ness Monster” (Conway, 2018), outlining both the independent beliefs and worldviews, cognitive, behavioural, and personality traits of LWA, and those it shares with its right-wing counterpart. Scholars have long theorised that authoritarianism exists as a predisposition triggered by a threat to the homogeneity of the in-group, and therefore society (Stenner, 2005; Feldman, 2003). Namely, that authoritarian behaviours "rise and fall" in response to changing social conditions perceived as threatening to the individual's societal norms, acting as a defence serving the needs of the individual (Duckitt, 1989; Stenner, 2005; Kehrberg, 2017; Van Assche et al., 2019a, b). Furthermore, this authoritarian continuum is concerned with maintaining an equilibrium between group authority and uniformity on one extreme, with a priority of individual autonomy and diversity on the extreme libertarian end of the scale (Duckitt, 1989). We therefore have three aims: 1) To support Stenner's (2005) hypothesis of authoritarianism as a psychological predisposition for group homogeneity. 2) To support the validation of left-wing economic authoritarianism as a measurable psychological construct. 3) To focus on analysing core psychological elements of authoritarianism, and further predict its outcomes. In order to meet out aims, our objectives are as follows: 1) To develop a self-report measure based on theoretical ground assessing an individual's extent of authoritarian predisposition regarding right- and left-wing economic values, sexuality, child rearing views, attitudes on public health during the COVID-19 pandemic, and finally, justice-seeking behaviour. 2) To pilot this survey on a convenience sample of a minimum 200 participants. 3) To run appropriate statistical measures to amend the scale items where necessary, ensuring strong validity and reliability with the measure, with the intent on conducting empirical research on a larger, representative sample. 4) To redistribute the final survey to a more representative sample (N 500). 5) To conduct an exploratory factor analysis (EFA), one-factor confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), two-factor CFA, and bifactor model to explore shared factors between authoritarian values. 6) To use the results of the final bifactor model to predict the outcomes of authoritarian predisposition.

This project aims to validate a short version of the Monotheist and Atheist Belief Scales using a large cross-cultural secondary dataset collected as part of the COVID-19 psychological research consortium (C19PRC). It then aims to examine the relationship between religious beliefs and psycho-pathological variables using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) techniques.

The authoritarian personality (Adorno et al., 1950) has been a subject of great interest for social and political psychologists alike; however, research has traditionally focused on studying the psychopathology and behavioural consequences of far right ideology and right-wing authoritarianism (RWA). Since its inception, the literature has largely ignored the left end of this spectrum, with some scholars suggesting left-wing authoritarianism (LWA) is an extremely rare phenomena, or dismissing its existence entirely (Stone, 1980; Stone & Smith, 1993; Altemeyer, 1996). More recently; however, exploration into the conceptualization of LWA has emerged, building a more precise framework of psychological, ideological, and behavioural factors integral to LWA. Costello and colleagues’ (2020-in pres), for example, have developed an in-depth conceptualization of this so-called “Loch Ness Monster” (Conway, 2018), outlining both the independent beliefs and worldviews, cognitive, behavioural, and personality traits of LWA, and those it shares with its right-wing counterpart. Our study aims to further explore the relationship between authoritarian personalities on both the Right and Left of the political spectrum using bifactor analysis to observe whether a shared latent construct emerges, and further, whether this underlying dimension could be the defining factor in predicting a general authoritarian personality. Using longitudinal secondary data collected by the COVID-19 Psychological Research Consortium Study (Wave 5), we first assess whether LWA can be observed in a nationally representative UK sample. We then test whether a shared underlying general factor can be observed in authoritarians on both ends of the political spectrum. Finally, we investigate the attitudinal and behavioural social psychological consequences of this underlying general trait.

The project aims to understand the mental health burden on healthcare workers. A part of this consists of understanding factors that play a role in the development of greater severity, or probable diagnosis of certain mental health outcomes.

This review aims to provide a systematic narrative review of all literature that considers poor me, bad me paranoia. This study falls under the domain of paranoia. It considers studies that research individuals who have received a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders [DSM] diagnosis e.g., Schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, paranoid personality disorder where paranoia is prevalent. It will also consider studies that research sub-clinical experiences of paranoia in the general population.

Additional file 1: Table S1. Standardised Factor Loadings for PHQ-GAD Confirmatory Factor Analysis for Each Country.

Additional file 1: Table S1. Baseline characteristics of original RCT sample (n = 253). Table S2. Median time to recovery from index depressive episode (Kaplan Meier). Table S3. Cox regression analysis showing predictors of time to recovery from index depressive episode. Figure S1. Cumulative time to any recurrence in individuals with no or suboptimal mood stabilizer treatment. Figure S2. Cumulative time to depressive recurrence in individuals with no or suboptimal mood stabilizer treatment.

Additional file 2: Table S2. Shapiro-Wilk Normality Tests for PHQ and GAD-7 Scores for each Country

Supplemental Material, Supplemental_material for The Authoritarian Dynamic During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Effects on Nationalism and Anti-Immigrant Sentiment by Todd K. Hartman, Thomas V. A. Stocks, Ryan McKay, Jilly Gibson-Miller, Liat Levita, Anton P. Martinez, Liam Mason, Orla McBride, Jamie Murphy, Mark Shevlin, Kate M. Bennett, Philip Hyland, Thanos Karatzias, Frédérique Vallières and Richard P. Bentall in Social Psychological and Personality Science

Supplemental Material, Hartman_Authorship-change-request-form--fillable-PDF_SIGNED for The Authoritarian Dynamic During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Effects on Nationalism and Anti-Immigrant Sentiment by Todd K. Hartman, Thomas V. A. Stocks, Ryan McKay, Jilly Gibson-Miller, Liat Levita, Anton P. Martinez, Liam Mason, Orla McBride, Jamie Murphy, Mark Shevlin, Kate M. Bennett, Philip Hyland, Thanos Karatzias, Frédérique Vallières and Richard P. Bentall in Social Psychological and Personality Science

Additional file 1. The CLAHRC NWC Household Health Survey. Public health survey.

Supplemental material, McElroy_Supplemental_Materials for Mental Health, Deprivation, and the Neighborhood Social Environment: A Network Analysis by Eoin McElroy, Jason C. McIntyre, Richard P. Bentall, Tim Wilson, Keith Holt, Cecil Kullu, Rajan Nathan, Andrew Kerr, Katerina Panagaki, Mick McKeown, Pooja Saini, Mark Gabbay and Rhiannon Corcoran in Clinical Psychological Science

Supplemental material, Supplementary_table_1 for Coping Strategies and self-esteem in the high-risk offspring of bipolar parents by Sarah M Goodday, Richard Bentall, Steven Jones, Arielle Weir and Anne Duffy in Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry

OBJECTIVES. The evidence to date for a causal role of emotions in the generation of paranoid symptoms is scarce, mainly because of a lack of studies investigating the longitudinal association between emotional processes and paranoia. The primary aim of this study was to investigate whether momentary emotional experiences (anxiety, depression, anger/irritability) and self-esteem predicted the onset and duration of a paranoid episode. We also studied whether levels of emotional experiences and self-esteem were respectively higher and lower during a paranoid episode. DESIGN. A 1-week, prospective momentary assessment study. METHODS. Data were collected using the experience sampling method, a structured self-assessment diary technique. The sample consisted of 158 individuals who ranged across the paranoia continuum. Participants with a psychotic disorder were recruited from in-patient and out-patient mental health services. Participants without psychotic disorder were sampled from the general population. RESULTS. Specific aspects of emotional experience were implicated in the onset and persistence of paranoid episodes. Both an increase in anxiety and a decrease in self-esteem predicted the onset of paranoid episodes. Cross-sectionally, paranoid episodes were associated with high levels of all negative emotions and low level of self-esteem. Initial intensity of paranoia and depression was associated with longer, and anger/irritability with shorter duration of paranoid episodes. CONCLUSIONS. Paranoid delusionality is driven by negative emotions and reductions in self-esteem, rather than serving an immediate defensive function against these emotions and low self-esteem. Clinicians need to be aware of the central role of emotion-related processes and especially self-esteem in paranoid thinking.

Background Many kinds of beliefs can be held both strongly and emotionally, which means that they can prove difficult to change. Such beliefs can be either pathological (e.g. delusions) or non-pathological (e.g. religious, political and supernatural beliefs as well as belief in conspiracy theories). The difficulty associated with distinguishing between delusions and other types of strong beliefs has given rise to the term ‘master explanatory systems’ (MES), which include paranoid beliefs, belief in conspiracies, political beliefs, religious beliefs and paranormal beliefs. The present study sought to investigate the commonalities between pathological and non-pathological beliefs, in addition to their correlation with other psychological constructs. Methods This study comprised three large-scale online surveys and one online experiment. The first survey involved over 500 participants from three different universities (Liverpool, Ulster and Oxford) in the United Kingdom (UK). The second survey involved a representative sample of 1508 participants from the UK, while the third survey involved a smaller representative sample (about 630 participants) of the UK population. Finally, the online experiment involved 245 participants, who were divided into two groups. The data derived from the three surveys and the online experiment were analysed by means of different statistical approaches. First, confirmatory factor analysis was performed to study the relationship between paranoia and belief in conspiracy theories, while a multivariate regression was run between the two types of beliefs and certain other psychological constructs. Second, the same statistical approach as used in the first study was also used to investigate the relationship between religious (monotheistic) belief and atheism. Third, a bifactor analysis was performed to determine whether there was a common latent factor (or 'S') underlying all the MES. Finally, a mortality salience intervention was conducted to examine the effect of the fear of death on the strong belief latent factor S. Results The first study revealed that paranoia and belief in conspiracy theories are better explained as two separate yet related factors. Moreover, they are both related positively to loneliness and factors relevant to the external locus of control (i.e., powerful others and chance). However, belief in conspiracy theories but not paranoia was related positively with poor analytical reasoning. The second study indicated that religious belief and atheism are also can better explained as two distinct yet related factors. The scale that was designed for the two factors (monotheism and atheism) was found to exhibit high reliability. In terms of the third study, a bifactor model incorporating strong beliefs of paranoia, beliefs in conspiracies, religiosity, and nationalism as well as the three factors associated with paranormal beliefs was found to have a better fit indices when compared with the confirmatory factor analysis of those beliefs, while the latent strong belief factor S was found to underlie all the MES. Finally, the online experiment revealed that the mortality salience manipulation increased the participants’ death anxiety, worsened their analytical reasoning, and enhanced the S. Conclusions Taken together, the findings of this study support the existence of the strong belief latent factor S. The surveys showed S to exhibit consistent correlation with the other psychological constructs of interest. However, further studies involving clinical samples are recommended to replicate and extend the present findings.

Theory and research in the field of persecutory beliefs have identified a number of important psychological processes involved in clinical and non-clinical paranoia. This dissertation set out to investigate some of these processes. Firstly, the empirical evidence for the distinction of 'Poor Me' and 'Bad Me' paranoia (Trower & Chadwick, 1995) was reviewed systematically. Secondly, an empirical study with two phases aimed to investigate the contribution of key processes to paranoia in clinical and non-clinical samples. Investigated factors were: anxiety, depression, anger, attachment anxiety, attachment avoidance, deservedness, submissiveness, self-attacking, self-compassion and experiential avoidance. The review found the distinction of 'Poor Me' and 'Bad Me' paranoia to have some validity and clinical usefulness; however, as yet not all of the theoretical predictions have been borne out in the empirical literature. The importance of the role of deservedness and its measurement was discussed. A series of one-way ANCOVAs found levels of a number of processes to distinguish clinical and non-clinical paranoid groups. Hierarchical regression revealed experiential avoidance to be a significant predictor of paranoia in the final model. A concluding section synthesised these findings and consideration was given to future directions.