The effectiveness of schema therapy for patients with anxiety disorders, OCD, or PTSD: A systematic review and research agenda

Abstract

Objectives. We reviewed the evidence regarding the effectiveness of schema therapy for anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).Methods. This systematic review followed the recommendation of the PRISMA guidelines. A database search (PsycINFO, MEDLINE, EMBASE, WEB OF SCIENCE, and Academic Search Ultimate) was conducted to identify eligible studies up until 2 April 2021. The search included the keywords ('schema therap*' or 'schema group therap*' or 'schema mode therap*' or 'schema focused' or 'young's model') and ('anxiety disorder*' or 'anxiety-related disorder*' or 'agoraphobia' or 'health anxiety' or 'phobi*' or 'panic disorder' or 'obsessive compulsive disorder' or 'OCD' or 'posttraumatic stress' or 'post traumatic stress' or 'PTSD' or 'hypochondria' or 'axis 1'). Included studies were appraised on methodological quality according to the Psychotherapy Outcome study Methodology Rating Form.Results. We identified 41 studies that were eligible based on the topic. However, only six (comprising 316 anxiety, OCD, and PTSD patients) could be included despite lenient methodological inclusion/exclusion criteria. Results showed that schema therapy can lead to beneficial effects in disorder-specific symptoms and early maladaptive schemas. Yet, we also uncovered substantial methodological limitations in most studies.Conclusions. Schema therapy is a promising treatment for anxiety, OCD, and PTSD. Yet, there is a systematic problem in the quality of research despite growing clinical interest and application. We therefore concluded with a research agenda presenting recommendations for future research that will be crucial for building a solid evidence-base for schema therapy in chronic anxiety, OCD, and PTSD.This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.

Validity and reliability of the Chinese version of the Young Positive Schema Questionnaire

“…Negative schemas are the outcomes of unmet core emotional needs in childhood and/or adolescence (i.e., acceptance, autonomy, reasonable limits, realistic expectations, and connection) and are elaborated upon throughout one's lifetime (Young et al, 2003). Empirical studies have found that negative schemas are the transdiagnostic mechanisms of personality and affective disorders (Wang et al, 2010;Bamelis et al, 2014;Peeters et al, 2021). However, individuals with maladaptive schemas in some areas can also have adaptive or positive schemas in other areas.…”

Early maladaptive schemas, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder in a trauma-exposed sample: a correlation, regression and network perspective

“…Early maladaptive schemas are one of the core risk factors in the development of psychopathology (Young et al, 2003). Schema therapy is becoming more and more popular (Bach & Bernstein, 2019) and seems to be effective in treating different mental disorders (Oud et al, 2018;Carter et al, 2013;Jacob & Arntz, 2013;Peeters et al, 2021). Thus, it is important and of interest to know how the specific schemas are related to different types of psychopathology.…”

The higher-order structure of early maladaptive schemas: A meta-analytical approach

“…Treatment with ST has been shown to be effective for personality disorders [e.g., ( 2 , 3 )]. The effectiveness of ST has further been examined for a range of other psychiatric diagnoses, including, but not limited to, depression [e.g., ( 4 )], anxiety disorders ( 5 ), and eating disorders [e.g., ( 6 )]. Young ( 7 ) defines EMSs as “extremely stable and enduring themes that develop during childhood, are elaborated throughout an individual's lifetime and are dysfunctional to a significant degree” (p. 9).…”