New survey reveals that a quarter of UK adults mistrust others

A major new survey of trust and mistrust in the UK has revealed worryingly high levels of mistrust in society, with a quarter of respondents mistrustful of other people and a similar proportion keen for help to feel more trusting. Researchers from the University of Oxford surveyed a representative group of 10,382 UK adults. It was the most comprehensive survey of paranoia - defined as excessive mistrust of other people -carried out to date. The results are published in the journal BMJ Mental Health . Analysis of the survey items showed that 13.7% of participants described themselves as very trusting of other people, 61.4% as generally trusting, 19.6% as generally mistrustful, and 5.3 as very mistrustful. Six percent reported that they were often more fearful of what other people may do to them than they should be, 14.5% sometimes felt this, 20.8% occasionally felt this, and 57.9% did not feel this. Seventeen percent wanted help to be more trusting of other people, 38.7% might want help, and 44.4% did not want help.