The roles of early maladaptive schemas, parenting styles, and psychological flexibility on alcohol use and cigarette smoking

Objective: The main purpose of the current study was to investigate the mediator role of early maladaptive schemas on the relationship between parenting styles and alcohol use/cigarette smoking. In addition, it was aimed to investigate the moderator role of psychological flexibility on the association between early maladaptive schemas and alcohol use/cigarette smoking. Method: 186 participants participated in this study. Participants completed Demographic Information Form, Young Schema Questionnaire, Young Parenting Inventory, Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II, Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, and Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence. Result: Findings showed that early maladaptive schemas was not mediated the relationship between parenting styles and alcohol use/cigarette smoking. In addition, the results did not support the moderator role of psychological flexibility on the association between early maladaptive schemas and alcohol use/cigarette smoking. Conclusion: The results were not confirmed the mediator role of early maladaptive schemas. In other words, the increment in negative parenting did not cause an increase in schema scores, which did not result in increase in alcohol use/cigarette smoking. Moreover, psychological flexibility did not have protective role on the association between early maladaptive schemas and alcohol use/cigarette smoking. The findings of the current study, limitations, and strengths of the study were discussed in the light of the literature. In addition to this, suggestion for future studies and clinical applications related to current study were included.