Prejudicing Paranoia (University of Ferrara)

 The case study consists in a series of qualitative interviews with adults with paranoia who are users of mental health services. In particular, we want to investigate whether participants feel their opinions are valued, how they see themselves and their relationships with other people and the world around them, and whether they have been the object of discrimination due to their mental health condition or diagnosis. The focus is on agency, insight, and stigma. This will help us understand the complexity of the participants' experiences and develop recommendations for improving clinical communication and care.

Team

Data collection and analysis: Chiara Punzi (University of Ferrara). EPIC Project investigator: Lisa Bortolotti (University of Birmingham and University of Ferrara)
EPIC Project Partners: Luigi Grassi and Martino Belvederi Murri, Department of Neurosciences and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara.

Recruitment

 Adults with paranoia recruited from Psychiatric Diagnosis and Treatment Service, Policlinico Umberto I, Rome, under the supervision of Annalisa Maraone and Massimo Pasquini (Department of Human Neurosciences, University of Rome La Sapienza); and from the Intensive Hospital Psychiatric Service at the Ospedale del Delta a Lagosanto, Ferrara, under the supervision of Martino Belvederi Murri and Luigi Grassi (Department of Neurosciences and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara).

Relevant publications

• Belvederi Murri et al. (2025). Reacting to Demoralization and Investigating the Experience of Dignity in Psychosis: Reflections from an Acute Psychiatric Ward. In: Bortolotti, L. (eds) Epistemic Justice in Mental Healthcare. Palgrave Macmillan.
• Belvederi Murri M et al. (2025). [https://doi. org/10.1017/S2045796025100206]The impact of socioeconomic factors on the incidence and characteristics of first-episode psychosis. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences 34, e45, 1–14. 
• Grassi, L. et al. (2025). Preserving Dignity and Epistemic Justice in Palliative Care for Patients with Serious Mental Health Problems. In: Bortolotti, L. (eds) Epistemic Justice in Mental Healthcare. Palgrave Macmillan.

Presentations

• Martino Belvederi Murri, Fiona Malpass, and Lisa Bortolotti, Unusual experiences and beliefs, Mental Health Awareness Week webinar, 15th May 2025.
• Early Psychosis Working Group, The impact of socioeconomic factors on the incidence and characteristics of the onset of psychosis, SOPSIS (National Congress of Italian Society of Psychopathology), 19th-21st February 2025, Rome.
• Luigi Grassi, Philosophy and Mental Health, Philosophy Matters webinar, 26th March 2025.