An investigation of the relationship between early maladaptive schemas and psychological adjustment: The moderating effects of spiritual coping styles
Abstract
Schema-focused theory was developed for the treatment of personality disorders and has been applied to many different forms of psychopathology, but there has been little published research investigating the relevance of this theory for non-clinical populations. This study sought to extend the existing research concerning the salience of schema-focused theory in non-clinical populations. Specifically, the purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between the Disconnection/Rejection schema domain and aspects of psychological adjustment in an undergraduate population, as well as to investigate the moderating effects of spiritual coping styles on these relationships. The Early Maladaptive Schema Questionnaire-Research version (EMSQ-R), the Young Schema Questionnaire (YSQ, the Religious Problem-Solving Scales (RPSS), the Brief Religious Coping Scale (Brief RCOPE), the Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale (RSES), the Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS), and the Student Adjustment to College Questionnaire (SACQ were administered to an undergraduate sample (N = 153) at a Catholic Northeastern university. Preliminary psychometric validation of the EMSQ-R indicated that its Disconnection/Rejection schema items possess good internal reliability and construct validity. It was found that the Disconnection/Rejection schema domain was inversely related to self esteem, positive affect, and overall college adjustment, as well as positively related to negative affect. It was also found that Collaborative and positive spiritual coping styles attenuated these relationships between Disconnection/Rejection and adjustment, while Deferring and negative spiritual coping styles amplified them. The results suggest that the maladaptive schemas associated with the Disconnection/Rejection schema domain are relevant for non-clinical populations, and that schema-focused theory in general may be applicable to this group. Furthermore, the results suggest that spiritual coping strategies can play an important role in psychological adjustment. Specifically, the results indicate that some spiritual coping styles enhance adjustment while others impair it. These findings suggest that clinicians pay attention to patients' spiritual coping strategies and the impact they may have on their well being.
Subject Area
Psychotherapy|Religion
Recommended Citation
D'Andrea, Jennifer Tara, "An investigation of the relationship between early maladaptive schemas and psychological adjustment: The moderating effects of spiritual coping styles" (2003). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI3098127.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI3098127
