Paranoid Personality Disorder Test

Basic information
Statements:	24
Duration:	3–6 minutes
Type:	Self-assessment
Seminal work:	Deenz paranoid personality scale (DPPS-24)
Publishing year:	2024
Instructions:	The main purpose of Deenz paranoid personality scale is to measure tendencies towards paranoid personality disorder by accessing subclinical traits of paranoid personality in the general or non clinical population. Subclinical traits refer to the presence of personality features that do not meet the threshold for the formal diagnosis. The self-assessment consists of 24 statements. You need to indicate your level of agreement for each statement, ranging from never to always.

Paranoid personality test is available in the following languages:

Question 1 of 24

I find it hard to trust people, even when they seem sincere.

Never

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Always

Question 2 of 24

I often suspect that others have hidden motives.

Never

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Always

Question 3 of 24

I rarely take people at their word without questioning their intentions.

Never

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Always

Question 4 of 24

I often think people are plotting against me.

Never

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Always

Question 5 of 24

Even when things seem fine, I suspect something may go wrong.

Never

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Always

Question 6 of 24

It's hard for me to believe that others have good intentions.

Never

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Always

Question 7 of 24

Sharing personal information makes me uneasy.

Never

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Always

Question 8 of 24

I am cautious about confiding in others about my problems.

Never

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Always

Question 9 of 24

I rarely open up to others about my concerns.

Never

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Always

Question 10 of 24

I believe people are deliberately trying to harm me.

Never

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Always

Question 11 of 24

I interpret innocent actions as attempts to hurt me.

Never

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Always

Question 12 of 24

I often feel targeted or persecuted by others.

Never

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Always

Question 13 of 24

I quickly notice signs of danger in everyday situations.

Never

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Always

Question 14 of 24

I frequently sense that something bad is about to happen.

Never

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Always

Question 15 of 24

I am always on the lookout for potential threats.

Never

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Always

Question 16 of 24

Forgiving others is a challenging task for me.

Never

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Always

Question 17 of 24

I struggle to move on from past hurts.

Never

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Always

Question 18 of 24

I lack empathy for those who have hurt me in the past.

Never

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Always

Question 19 of 24

I prefer spending time alone rather than with others.

Never

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Always

Question 20 of 24

I avoid getting too close to others to protect myself.

Never

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Always

Question 21 of 24

I prefer meeting new people instead of maintaining close relationships.

Never

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Always

Question 22 of 24

I often feel angry or resentful towards others.

Never

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Always

Question 23 of 24

I am easily irritated by people's actions.

Never

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Always

Question 24 of 24

I'm defensive in my interactions.

Never

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Always

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Participation in this self-assessment quiz is completely anonymous. We do not collect or ask for personal information. Your results are not stored or used for research purposes. We are bound by the ethical guidelines proposed by the institutional ethics board.

The term ‘paranoid personality’ describes someone exhibiting pervasive distrust and suspicion of others. From a clinical perspective, if a person has difficulty trusting others or is excessively guarded, and these experiences impact social, mental, and interpersonal relationships, then these symptoms are significant for the diagnosis of paranoid personality disorder. ^{[1] Triebwasser ….. “Paranoid personality disorder.”}

The main aim behind development of Deenz paranoid personality scale was to measure tendencies to subclinical paranoid personality traits in the general population. These traits may be present but do not cause significant distress or impair daily life. ^{[2] Combs, … “The role of subclinical paranoia on social perception and behavior.”} By accessing these traits, the scale is also capable of identifying individuals who may be at risk of developing paranoid personality disorder.

Understanding Paranoid Personality Disorder Facets.

Skeptical (Pervasive Distrust): Skepticism refers to a state of doubt or questioning the authenticity of others. It is ok to be cautious and vigilant but some people are so inclined that they always question the validity and trustworthiness of others. ^{[3] Kevin William Grant “Mistrust in Focus: The Unique Challenges of Paranoid Personality Disorder.”} These doubts may be the result of past experiences and a healthy way to inquire but it may be considered abnormal, if these behaviors impact the social and interpersonal relationships.

Suspicion (Unwarranted Suspicion): Suspicion refers to a state of mistrust regarding the motives or intentions of others. It is normal to feel or believe that someone might be engaged in hurting you based on your past experiences or that someone might be jealous of your accomplishments. When suspicion is “unwarranted” it means there is not a strong reason to justify these beliefs about others. These unwarranted suspicions may impact interpersonal relationships and may have a profound impact on one’s social and psychological well-being. ^{[4] Fanti E…. In search of hidden threats: A scoping review on paranoid presentations in personality disorders.}

Secrecy (Reluctance to Confide):Secrecy the term refers to the act of keeping things confidential and hidden from others. It is a healthy behavior to be more strict in terms of sharing personal information. Some people intentionally try to hide such things which might not cause a threat and they are always questioned about confidentiality.

Malevolence (Perception of Malevolence): Perception of Malevolence refers to the state of thoughts or beliefs about others that they may cause harm even if there may not be strong evidence to support such a belief. People with paranoid personalities believe that others’ actions or motives are intentionally harmful and may be used deliberately against them to cause distress.

Hypervigilance (Readiness to Detect Threats): Hypervigilance refers to the state of awareness or alertness to detect threats or dangers. It might be okay for someone who is always in a hurry and feels a need to be extra alert, to safeguard against harm that may be caused by others. Some people are always and persistently engaged in detecting threats even when there might not be strong evidence to support the reason to be alert for potential threats. ^{[5] Shivshankar Rajmohan AK. hyper vigilance and paranoia: problematizing self on social media.}

Resentful (Difficulty Forgiving): Resentful refers to harboring feelings of bitterness and anger towards someone. We sometimes meet such people who hurt us intentionally and sometimes forgetting about past experiences seems impossible. Researchers believe that forgiving is a healthy way to cope with stress and helps in building close relationships. Individuals who face difficulty letting go of negative emotions and struggle to forgive might indicate abnormal behavior.

Isolation (Spending time alone): Sometimes when we feel down and sad, we often feel the need to be left alone. Isolation might be a healthy way to recharge our minds but it becomes a concern when it involves complete social withdrawal. People who persistently seek isolation from family or society due to mistrust and doubts about the intentions of others may be considered as having a paranoid personality.

Hostility(Easily irritated): Hostility refers to a state of expressing negative emotions toward others. Anger is the normal emotional response to the negative behaviors of others. Some people become easily annoyed and feel angry even by minor issues that may be easily resolved. Getting easily irritated can impact interpersonal relationships and may have a prolonged impact on overall well-being. ^{[6] Sinha BK…. . Hostility and personality disorder. Imagination, Cognition and Personality.}

References

1. Triebwasser J, Chemerinski E, Roussos P, Siever LJ. Paranoid personality disorder. Journal of personality disorders. 2013 Dec;27(6):795-805. https://doi.org/10.1521/pedi_2012_26_055 ↩

2. Combs, D. R., & Penn, D. L. (2004). The role of subclinical paranoia on social perception and behavior. Schizophrenia Research, 69(1), 93-104. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0920-9964(03)00051-3 ↩

3. Grant KW. Mistrust in Focus: The Unique Challenges of Paranoid Personality Disorder. Blog post ↩

4. Fanti, Erika, Marco Di Sarno, and Rossella Di Pierro. “In search of hidden threats: A scoping review on paranoid presentations in personality disorders.” Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy 30, no. 6 (2023): 1215-1233. https://doi.org/10.1002/cpp.2913 ↩

5. Shivshankar Rajmohan AK. hyper vigilance and paranoia: problematizing self on social media: LITERARY ENDEAVOUR.:43. Google Scholar ↩

6. Sinha, B. K., & Watson, D. C. (2005). Hostility and Personality Disorder. Imagination, Cognition and Personality. https://doi.org/10.2190/BVQV-T26M-2WQ3-FDF5 ↩