A Longitudinal Study on the Relationship between Delusional Ideation and Social Network

Abstract

Previous work highlights an important relationship between subclinical delusional ideation (DI) and one’s social network; however, the temporal specificity remains unclear. Furthermore, emotion regulation strategies, often mis-used by individuals experiencing DI, are critical for maintaining social relationships and may impact the association between DI and social network. The current analysis investigates the temporal relationship between DI and social network while exploring the potential moderating role of emotion regulation strategies. Using a longitudinal community sample from the Nathan Kline Institute – Rockland Sample (N=112), general linear models examined temporal relationships between the Peter’s Delusions Inventory and the Social Networking Questionnaire. Subsequently, moderations of the relationship by suppression and reappraisal, from the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, were tested with moderation models. Findings revealed DI predicted one’s social network one year later, even when controlling for prior social network levels; in contrast, social network did not predict DI one year later. We found no evidence of moderation by suppression or reappraisal in the observed temporal relationship. While suppression appeared to be a significant predictor of social network above and beyond prior DI, suppression did not remain significant when controlling for prior social network levels. By utilizing a longitudinal dataset, the current study tested critical assumptions about the temporal relationship between DI and social network. Results highlighted that increased DI predicted decreased future quality of one’s social network. We further highlighted an additive negative impact of suppression on social network, which did not survive longitudinal controls, but may still be a complimentary point of intervention.

Keywords: Delusions, Social Network, Emotion Regulation, Longitudinal Analysis, Community Sample