# Racial Disparities in the Expression of Paranoia

> **NIH NIH F31** · TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $48,974

## Abstract

Project Summary
Paranoia, a core feature of psychosis and a clinically significant transdiagnostic construct, manifests dimensionally and in
the population and significantly impacts social functioning and well-being across the severity spectrum. This proposal
addresses critical knowledge gaps in understanding the ethnoracial dynamics contributing to the persistent observation
of heightened paranoia among Black Americans compared to their White counterparts, irrespective of clinical status.
Specific Aim 1 bridges current knowledge gaps by identifying both risk (e.g., past exposure to discrimination) and
resilience factors (e.g., racial identity) that may mediate and moderate the relationship between race and self-reported
paranoia in Black and White Americans using self-report survey methodology. To our knowledge, we are the first team
to systematically investigate the intricate interplay between both individual- and group-level sociocultural factors that
may influence heightened paranoia endorsements observed among Black Americans. Furthermore, while racial
discrimination has been implicated as a potential driver of racial group differences in paranoia, the correlational nature
of current research limits causal inferences. Specific Aim 2 addresses this limitation by employing a randomized
experimental paradigm to test the causal relationship between exposure to racial discrimination and increased paranoia
among Black Americans. In addition, we will meticulously examine the sociocultural factors that may influence the
magnitude of experimental effects (e.g., self-reported past exposure to discrimation and racial identity), shedding light
on nuanced factors at play. By elucidating these ethnoracial dynamics and causal pathways, the proposed research will
refine the understanding of paranoia expression across groups—providing crucial information for culturally sensitive and
accurate measurement of the psychosis spectrum within ethnoracially diverse populations.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10998729
- **Project number:** 1F31MH135692-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** J Paige Wolny
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $48,974
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-07-26 → 2026-07-25

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10998729

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10998729, Racial Disparities in the Expression of Paranoia (1F31MH135692-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10998729. Licensed CC0.

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