title: Early Maladaptive Schemas and Aggression in Men Seeking Residential Substance Use Treatment.
abstract: Social-cognitive theories of aggression postulate that individuals who perpetrate aggression are likely to have high levels of maladaptive cognitive schemas that increase risk for aggression. Indeed, recent research has begun to examine whether early maladaptive schemas may increase the risk for aggression. However, no known research has examined this among individuals in substance use treatment, despite aggression and early maladaptive schemas being more prevalent among individuals with a substance use disorder than the general population. Toward this end, we examined the relationship between early maladaptive schemas and aggression in men in a residential substance use treatment facility (N= 106). Utilizing pre-existing patient records, results demonstrated unique associations between early maladaptive schema domains and aggression depending on the type of aggression and schema domain examined, even after controlling for substance use, antisocial personality, age, and education. TheImpaired Limitsdomain was positively associated with verbal aggression, aggressive attitude, and overall aggression, whereas theDisconnection and Rejectiondomain was positively associated with physical aggression. These findings are consistent with social-cognitive models of aggression and advance our understanding of how early maladaptive schemas may influence aggression. The implications of these findings for future research are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Oho University.
authors.forename: Ryan C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Shorey
authors.affiliation: University of Tennessee - Knoxville.
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Elmquist
authors.affiliation: Cornerstone of Recovery, Louisville, TN.
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.affiliation: University of Tennessee - Knoxville.
authors.forename: Gregory L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Stuart
keywords: Aggression; early maladaptive schemas; substance use; violence