The Role of Early Maladaptive Schemas in the Appearance of Psychological Symptomatology in Adult Women Victims of Child Abuse

Abstract

Child abuse affects people's ways of thinking, feeling, and observing the world, resulting in dysfunctional beliefs and maladaptive schemas. Thus, consequences of child abuse may persist during adulthood. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze the psychological consequences (anxiety, phobic anxiety, depression, and hopelessness) of different types of maltreatment (physical, sexual, and emotional abuse and physical and emotional neglect) and to study the role of early maladaptive schemas in the onset of symptomatology in adult female victims of child abuse. The sample consisted of 75 women referred by associations for treatment of abuse and maltreatment in childhood. Sexual abuse was the type of maltreatment that was most strongly related to most dysfunctional symptomatology, followed by emotional abuse and physical abuse, whereas physical neglect was the least related. Also, early maladaptive schemas were found to correlate with child abuse and dysfunctional symptomatology. Finally, early maladaptive schemas mediated the relationship between sexual abuse and dysfunctional symptomatology when the effect of other types of abuse was controlled. These results may provide important guidance for clinical intervention.

Specific early maladaptive schemas differentially mediate the relations of emotional and sexual maltreatment to recent life events in youth with depression

“…However, only Abandonment was significantly associated with greater occurrence of dependent events and significantly mediated the relation of sexual maltreatment to dependent events. These results are consistent with Estévez et al (2017) and Jenkins et al (2013) who both found that Abandonment was uniquely associated with sexual maltreatment. Further, Eberhart et al (2011) found that Abandonment had the highest effect size in predicting the generation of dependent life events.…”

“…Studies empirically testing the associations between childhood maltreatment and Young's EMSs have found that, in general, emotional, physical and sexual maltreatment are each associated with a wide range of largely overlapping EMSs, suggesting little evidence for specificity (Estévez et al, 2017; Jenkins et al, 2013; Lumley & Harkness, 2007; Sheffield et al, 2005). An important limitation of these studies, however, is that they only report the bivariate correlations of each maltreatment type separately with each EMS.…”

The Mediating Role of Early Maladaptive Schemas in the Relationship between Childhood Traumatic Events and Complex Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms in Older Adults (>64 Years)

“…Adverse childhood experiences can disrupt this process and have been shown to have a potentially detrimental impact on how individuals conceptualise themselves and others around them (Estévez, Jauregui, Ozerinjauregi, & Herrero-Fernández, 2017;Roemmele & Messman-Moore, 2011).…”

Interpersonal Sensitivity Mediates the Effects of Childhood Maltreatment on the Evaluation of Life Events and Anxiety States in Adult Community Volunteers

“… 9 A study of women who had experienced abuse in childhood also demonstrated that the effects of sexual abuse on present anxiety symptoms were mediated by maladaptive behaviors that developed during childhood. 10 A recent study on victims of sexual abuse reported that negative emotions mediate the effects of repeated abuse and nonsexual abuse on trait anxiety. 11 Furthermore, Widom et al performed a study on victims of physical abuse and neglect, and reported that anxious adult attachment styles mediated the association between childhood maltreatment and anxiety symptoms.…”