Non - secure self - esteem in paranoia 1 Implicit and explicit self - esteem discrepancies in paranoia and depression

The main purpose of the present study was to examine implicit and explicit self-esteem (SE) in patients with persecutory delusions. In samples of paranoid patients, depressed patients and healthy controls, implicit SE was assessed using the experimental task of Go/No-Go association, while explicit SE was measured using two self-reporting questionnaires: the World Assumption Scale (WAS) subscale of self-worth and the Scales of Psychological Well-Being (SPWB) subscale of self-acceptance. Our analysis revealed that depressed patients showed lower explicit SE than did paranoid and healthy control participants. However, participants with persecutory delusions had significantly lower implicit SE scores than healthy controls. We interpret the discrepancies observed between overt and covert measures in the paranoid group as psychological defense mechanisms. The present study stresses the clinical and theoretical importance of the use of implicit measures in psychopathology.