Associations of Childhood Trauma with Paranoia and Conspiracy Thinking Among Young Adults: Exploring the Indirect Role of Attachment Styles

Abstract

Background/Objectives: To date, limited focus has been given to the possible contribution of attachment theory to the comprehension of how paranoia and conspiracy beliefs may develop. Our study aimed to examine the potential mediating effects of the different adult attachment styles on the relationship between childhood trauma and paranoid/conspiracy thinking. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study that was conducted during September–January 2025 among Tunisian young adults (aged 18–35 years) from the general population. The Child Abuse Self Report Scale (CASRS-12), the Relationship Questionnaire (RQ), the eight-item Green et al., Paranoid Thoughts Scale (GPTS-8), and the Generic Conspiracist Beliefs Scale-5 (GCB-5) were administered to participants. Results: After controlling for potential confounders, analyses showed that secure attachment partially mediated the link between childhood trauma and paranoia (indirect effect: Beta = 0.001; Boot SE = 0.001) and conspiracy beliefs (indirect effect: Beta = 0.024; Boot SE = 0.01). On the other hand, preoccupied attachment acted as a significant mediator in the relationship between childhood trauma and paranoid thinking (indirect effect: Beta = 0.001; Boot SE = 0.001). In all these models, greater childhood trauma was directly related to higher paranoia and/or conspiracy thinking. Conclusions: Findings suggest that interventions and policies aimed at promoting a more secure attachment and addressing insecure attachment representations are likely to be effective in diminishing paranoia and conspiracy beliefs, especially for victims of childhood adversity.