The crystallization of a paranoid symptom: Three theories

The dynamics of paranoia are complex. The cognitive and behavioral patterns of paranoia are well documented in the clinical literature. However, writings on the etiology of paranoia are sparse. Sigmund Freud, Melanie Klein, and William W. Meissner are the three most comprehensive and recognized theorists on the etiology and psychodynamic functions of paranoia. Their theories are delineated and applied to a clinical vignette of a woman with a recently developed paranoid symptom.