Associations of Schizotypal Personality and Paranoid Ideation With the Degree of Flow Experience in Daily Life

Background: Flow experience is thought to enhance health-related quality of life by mitigating stress and providing a sense of achievement. The associations between flow experience and subclinical psychiatric anomalies, such as schizotypal personality traits and paranoid ideation, have not been examined. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the associations between flow experience and subclinical psychiatric anomalies in a healthy population. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study included 64 undergraduates from Kibi international university, Japan (42 males, 22 females; mean age 20.1 ± 1.13 years). Schizotypal personality was measured using the Japanese version of the Oxford Schizotypal Personality Scale (STA). Paranoia was measured using the Japanese-version Paranoia Checklist (JPC). Flow experience was measured using the Flow Experience Checklist (FEC). Results: Both the STA score and the JPC distress subscore were positively correlated with the FEC score. However, no correlation was observed between either the JPC conviction or the frequency subscore and the FEC score. Stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed that the FEC score was influenced only by the STA score. Conclusions: Schizotypal personality traits appear to enhance the quality of flow experiences, but not their frequency or duration. We suggest that these intense flow experiences serve as a distraction from psychological abnormalities, such as paranoid ideation.