The relationship between early maladaptive schemas and parental acceptance-rejection in adolescents with anxiety disorders

Generalized anxiety disorders are psychiatric conditions marked by intense anxiety, fear, or tension, significantly impacting daily life. Individuals facing heightened anxiety often struggle to manage it, disrupting their daily functioning. A recent study on childhood psychopathologies in our country found that childhood anxiety disorders affect approximately 16.7% of the population (Ercan et al., 2019). One commonly employed therapeutic approach for anxiety disorders involves identifying negative automatic thoughts/core beliefs. According to schema therapy, these core beliefs originate from early life experiences, with the hindrance of developmental needs during this period forming the basis for specific schemas. Understanding how parental behaviors are perceived by children and recognizing behaviors that may be detrimental to children are crucial in this context. This study examines the relationship between perceived parental acceptance-rejection and early maladaptive schemas in adolescents diagnosed with anxiety disorders. The sample consists of 63 participants aged between 10 and 16, including 50 females and 13 males. The research utilized the Informed Consent Form, Demographic Information Form, Early Maladaptive Schema Scale for Children and Adolescents aged 10-16 (ÇEŞÖT), and the Parental Acceptance-Rejection Scale Short Form. Descriptive analyses, T-tests, ANOVA, and Pearson correlation coefficients were employed for data analysis. The findings indicate that participants scored high on all early maladaptive schemas. Various relationships were identified between perceived acceptance-rejection and early maladaptive schemas, particularly focusing on dimensions such as "Emotional Deprivation," "Failure," "Other-Directedness," "Self-Disapproval," "Subjugation," and "Punitiveness." The results emphasize the importance of considering both early maladaptive schemas and perceived parental rejection in the treatment of adolescents with anxiety disorders.