Evaluation of Patients Diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder in Terms of Early Maladaptive Schemas

Aim: It has been reported that individuals with generalized anxiety have many interpersonal problems and these problems occur through schemas such as emotional inhibition, shyness, subjugation, self-sacrifice and intervention. In light of this information, the purpose of this study was to compare individuals with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and healthy controls in terms of early maladaptive schemas (EMSs). Material and Methods: This research involved 92 participants aged 18 to 55, including 48 GAD patients and 44 healthy controls. Sociodemographic data form, Young Schema Questionnaire-Short Form-3 (YSQ-S3), Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale (GAD-7), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) were administered to the participants. The study was approved by the ethics committee (KÜTF KAEK NO:2023.02.16). Results: The patients' average age was 38.19±11.29, and 83.3% of them (n=40) were women. The average age of healthy controls was significantly lower, however, neither group differed significantly in terms of education or marital status. The mean GAD-7 score of the patients was 6.26±6.81. Emotional deprivation (p=0.024), pessimism (p<0.001), approval seeking (p=0.034), self-sacrifice (p=0.004), punitiveness (p<0.001), abandonment (p<0.001), vulnerability (p=0.042) schema scores, and BAI (p<0.001) and BDI (p<0.001) scores were significantly higher in GAD group. Moreover, there was a positive correlation (p<0.05) between GAD-7 score and early maladaptive schemas (excluding failure, insufficient self-control and defectiveness). Conclusion: Our findings show that multiple EMSs play a role in patients with GAD. In this context, EMSs should be considered in the approach to patients with GAD, as it is one of the diseases that cause the most disability and is closely related to other psychological disorders.

Keywords:

Maladaptive schema anxiety, psychiatric disorders,

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