An identity-based cognitive model of self-schemata, perceived social support and paranoid ideation: data from lesbian, gay and bisexual individuals

Lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) people experience mental health inequalities but there are limited data on paranoid ideation in this population. Using cross-sectional survey data from 257 LGB people, this study tests an identity-based cognitive model of self-schemata, perceived social support and paranoid ideation. Specifically, it examines associations between the maladaptive self-schemata of uncertainty intolerance and rejection sensitivity and paranoid ideation directly and indirectly through the mediation of perceived social support, as well as the moderating role of the adaptive self-schema of identity resilience. An advanced moderated mediation generalized linear model (GLM) showed that uncertainty intolerance and rejection sensitivity were associated directly and positively with paranoid ideation and indirectly through the mediation of lower perceived social support. In addition to directly and negatively impacting paranoia, identity resilience moderated these direct and indirect relationships, essentially weakening the associations between the maladaptive self-schemata and paranoid ideation, the maladaptive self-schemata and lower perceived social support and lower perceived social support and paranoid ideation. Identity resilience may perform protective effects against paranoia notwithstanding the presence of maladaptive self-schemata.