Comparing the mediating role of emotional schemas, metacognitive schemas and dysfunctional cognitions in the relation between perceived stress level and depression symptoms of faculty members

The aim of the current study is to look into the mediating effects of cognitive, metacognitive and emotional schemas in the relationship between the stress levels perceived by the instructors and their depression levels. The study sample consists of 409 academicians from a variety of universities and disciplines. Perceived Stress Scale, Dysfunctional Attitudes Scale, Metacognition Scale, Beliefs Related to Emotions Scale, Beck Depression Scale and the demographic form created by the researcher to determine demographic data were used in order to accumulate data in the study. The models, which were created in the research, were tested with the Structural Equation Modelling in the Lisrel 8.80 package program. In the study, different models were created concerning the mediating roles of schemas between perceived stress level and depression level. In the first model that was tested, the mediating roles of cognitive and metacognitive schemas in the relationship between stress and depression level were analysed. As a result of the chi-square difference tests, it was determined that there is a full mediation relationship between stress and cognitive schemas over metacognitions. According to the model, it is likely to mention about the partial mediation impact of metacognition in the relationship between stress and depression. In the second model, when a method is assigned from cognitive schemas to metacognitive schemas, as a consequence of chi-square difference tests, it was determined that there is a full mediation relationship between cognitive schemas and depression through metacognitions. Accordingly, it has been observed that in the relationship between stress and depression; the metacognitions and in the relationship between stress and metacognition; the cognitive schemas have a partial mediating effect In the third model compared, when the mediating roles of emotional schemas and cognitive schemas in the relationship between stress and depression were taken into consideration, as a result of the chi-square difference tests, it was determined that there was a full mediation relationship between cognitive schemas and depression through emotional schemas. Accordingly, it seems that emotional schemas have a partial mediating effect in the relationship between stress and depression, and similarly, cognitive schemas have a partial mediating effect in the relationship between stress and emotional schemas. Whereas in the fourth model, as a result of the chi-square difference tests, it was determined that there was a full mediation relationship between stress and cognitive schemas through emotional schemas. According to this model, it has been observed that the emotional schemas have a partial mediation effect in the relationship between stress and depression. According to the findings obtained through the bootstrapping analysis, except for the mediating effect of cognitive schemas in the relationship between metacognition and depression and cognitive schemas in the relationship between emotional schemas and depression, all indirect effects in the model were seen to be statistically notable at the .05 level. The outcomes of the study were discussed in the light of the relevant literature, and suggestions were presented for future studies. Keywords: perceived stress, cognitive schemas, emotional schemas, metacognitive schemas, depression