Study of Life Challenges, Personality, and Emotional Experiences Evaluating Race-Related Stress and Paranoia in Black American Adults

What this Trial Is About

Paranoia involves suspicious thoughts and beliefs that others may want to harm someone. It can affect many people, not only those with mental health diagnoses, and impacts daily life and relationships. Research shows Black Americans report higher levels of paranoia than White Americans even without clinical diagnosis, but the reasons are unclear. This study aims to understand why these differences exist by experimentally testing the impact of race-related stress on paranoia among Black American adults. Participants will complete an online, audio-guided visual imagery task where they listen and imagine scenarios designed to prime social experiences. They will be randomly assigned to one of four groups: blatant race-related adverse experience, subtle race-related adverse experience, social exclusion unrelated to race, or a neutral control. Each scenario lasts about 30 seconds and is followed by self-report assessments measuring current paranoia and emotional responses. The task is completed once in a single session. During the study, participants will provide self-reported data immediately after the imagery task to assess changes in paranoia and emotional reactions. Researchers will examine how exposure to race-related stress influences paranoia and identify personal factors that affect these responses. Participation involves one session with audio scenarios and questionnaires, with the primary outcome being changes in state paranoia measured right after the intervention.

Racial Disparities in the Expression of Paranoia