Early maladaptive schemas and adult attachment in a UK clinical population.
OBJECTIVE
Both insecure attachment style and early maladaptive schemas have been associated with mental health difficulties. This study aimed to investigate how schemas relate to attachment style classification in mental health service users. A further aim was to investigate the nature of the relationship between psychological distress, common psychological difficulties, and attachment style.


METHODS
Participants were 72 people in contact with mental health services who completed the short form of Young's schema questionnaire, a measure identifying their attachment style (experience of close relationships), and the clinical outcomes in routine evaluation (CORE; Evans et al., 1998) outcome measure.


RESULTS
Overall, 81% of the participants had an insecure attachment style. The fearful group were the most distressed across several domains of the CORE, followed by the preoccupied group. Schemas differed significantly according to attachment style grouping, with the fearful group possessing the greatest degree of maladaptive schemas, followed by the preoccupied group. Discriminant function analysis identified differing patterns of schemas associated with attachment style.


CONCLUSIONS
The results supported the relevance of both attachment style and maladaptive schemas to individuals with mental health difficulties. Importantly, several aspects of the individuals' symptoms and difficulties and their schemas were meaningfully related to their adult attachment style. Limitations included the small number of dismissing individuals identified, the problems of self-report in this area, and the absence of information about the quality of participants' current relationships.
Platts
Helen
H
Sub-Department of Clinical Health Psychology, University College London, UK. o.mason@ucl.ac.uk
Mason
Oliver
O
Tyson
Mary
M
D000275:Adjustment Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D017668:Age of Onset; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009769:Object Attachment; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology