background Studies of daily life emotional dynamics may reveal mechanisms underlying the occurrence and persistence of psychotic symptoms in a context of affective dysregulation.
aim The current study examined whether 1. Daily life dynamics between negative emotional changes and paranoia predict future psychotic symptoms. 2. These dynamics differ between people with and without current depression. 3. Directionality of effects between negative emotional changes and paranoia exists.
methods Female population twin pairs (n = 610) participated in a momentary assessment technology (mat) study, collecting appraisals of paranoia and affect (negative effect na and positive effect pa) in the flow of daily life. Prospective alterations in paranoia following moments of negative emotional change  were extracted. Likewise, prospective alterations in affect following moments of paranoia were  assessed. Diagnoses of depression were obtained (scid). Follow-up measurement (six months later) of psychotic symptoms was obtained using the cape.
results First, future psychotic symptoms were significantly associated with increases in paranoia  during moments of na increase. Second, depressed people differ from non-depressed individuals not in  the amount of paranoia induced during moments of negative emotional changes, but in subsequent persistence of these paranoid feelings. Conversely, future psychotic symptoms were not associated with na increase during moments of paranoia increase. Depressed and non-depressed individuals show similar negative emotional changes during moments of paranoia increase.
conclusion The mechanism of cooccurrence of depressive and psychotic symptoms may be found in subtle daily life emotional dynamics that can serve as a substrate for genetic and neurobiological endeavors.