Early maladaptive schemas and personality disorder symptoms: An examination in a non-clinical sample

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to examine the overall and specific relationship between early maladaptive schemas (EMSs) and personality disorder (PD) symptoms in a non-clinical sample. Design: While a notable previous study has examined the relationship between EMSs and PD symptoms after statistically controlling for gender and within-cluster PD symptoms, they did not control for comorbid axis I and inter-cluster PD symptoms. Hence, we redressed this methodological problem by statistically controlling for these conditions in a series of multiple regressions. Methods: In a sample of 178 non-clinical participants, we obtained self-reports of PD symptoms, depression, anxiety, eating disorder, and EMSs. Results: Results of a series of multiple regressions found that EMSs significantly predicted all PD symptoms apart from borderline and antisocial PDs and our hypotheses were largely consistent with hypotheses for cluster A and C PDs. We also found that specific EMSs differentially predicted PD subtypes even after controlling for other PD symptoms, depression, anxiety, and eating disorder symptoms. Conclusion: This study supports the contention that PDs are related to EMSs and there are specific relationships between particular EMSs and particular PDs. © 2010 The British Psychological Society.