The mediator role of emotional schemas and schema avoidance on the relationship between early maladaptive schema domains and alexithymia

In recent years, with the development of third generation approaches, behaviors, thoughts, emotions, metacognitive processes and self-evaluations relation to emotions are addressed in a holistic manner in the cognitive behavioral therapy literature. In our country, the number of studies on the concept of alexithymia, which means "difficulty in identifying and expressing emotions", has increased in the last 10 years. When the literature is reviewed, many studies emphasize that experiences in early childhood have an effect on the development of alexithymia, but there is no comprehensive information about which variables mediate between this relationship. Therefore, this study focuses on the relationships between schema-focused psychotherapy from third generation therapy approaches, the concept of schema avoidance from components of schema-focused therapy, the emotional schema model developed by Leahy based on metacognition theory and alexithymia. In this context, the mediating role of emotional schemas and schema avoidance in the relationship between early maladaptive schema areas and alexithymia was examined. The independent variable of the study is the early maladaptive schema areas and the dependent variable is the level of alexithymia. Emotional schemas and schema avoidance levels are mediating variables. In the first step of the study, the Personal Information Form, Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), Leahy Emotional Schema Scale (LESS), Young Schema Scale-Short Form 3 (YSQ-S3) and Young-Rygh Avoidance Inventory (YRAI) were applied to 265 females 103 males, a total of 368 (n = 368) participants between the ages of 18-65. In the first step, the relationships between alexithymia, early maladaptive schema areas, emotional schemas, and schema avoidance variables were evaluated using Pearson Correlation Analysis. Then, the mediating roles of emotional schemas and schema avoidance in the relationship between early maladaptive schema areas and alexithymia were investigated. Mediation analysis was carried on using Hierarchical Regression and PROCESS (Hayes, 2016) addition. According to the analysis results, significant relationships were found (p <0.010) between alexithymia, early maladaptive schema areas, emotional schemas, and schema avoidance variables. According to the results of mediator variable analysis, early childhood maladaptive schema areas predicted (p <0.010) alexithymia through emotional schemas and schema avoidance. The findings of the study were discussed in the light of the literature.