Early Maladaptive Schemas in Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Patients: A potential risk factor

PTSD is known to be associated with various cognitive characteristics which seem to play an important role in its symptoms. The schema theory may be useful paradigm explaining some of these characteristics. The present study attempted to investigate the Early Maladaptive Schemas (EMSs) in PTSD. This research recruited sex- and age-matched subjects who were submitted to three groups including PTSD، non-PTSD and normal (non-traumatized). Assessment tools were Beck’s Depression Inventory (BDI-II)، Beck’s Anxiety Inventory (BAI)، Early Maladaptive Schema (YSQ) as well as the Impact of Event Questionnaire (IES-R). Data were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance and independent sample t-test. Results showed that Participants with PTSD in comparison to other groups demonstrate higher scores on most EMSs such as emotional deprivation، abandonment، social isolation، mistrust/abuse، vulnerability to harm or illness، emotional inhibition and insufficient selfcontrol. In addition، the PTSD group demonstrated significantly elevated scores in BDI-II and BAI. Based on the present findings، schema theory appears to play an important part in the psychopathology and treatment of PTSD.