Table 1.

Description of the five Young schema domains

Disconnection and Rejection domain is predicted by the inability to establish secure and fulfilling relationships because persuaded that the needs for security, safety, stability, acceptance, and respect will not be met in a predictable manner. Typical family origin is instable (Abandonment); abusive (Mistrust/Abused); cold (Emotional Deprivation); too demanding (Defectiveness); lonely (Social Isolation).

Impaired Autonomy and Performance domain take into consideration the role of expectations about oneself/environment to interfere with one’s perceived ability/performance to separate (ie, separate from the parental figures), function independently. Typical family origin is unable to handle one’s everyday responsibilities in a competent manner (Dependence); undermining of child’s confidence (Vulnerability to Harm); excessively involved emotionally (Enmeshment); failing to reinforce child for performing competently outside family context (Failure).

Impaired Limits domain represent the difficulty into respecting the social and interpersonal rules, cooperating, making commitments, and reach realistic personal or long-term goals. Typical family origin is permissiveness, lack of direction or characterized by excessive competitiveness, and an inappropriate sense of superiority (Entitlement/Grandiosity); pervasive difficulty or refusal to exercise sufficient self-control and frustration tolerance (Insufficient Self-Control).

Other-Directedness domain represents the systematic tendency to pay too much attention to other’s needs, at the expense of one’s own. This is characterized by an excessive focus on the desires, feelings of others, in order to gain love/approval or avoid anger. Typical family origin is based on conditional acceptance (Subjugation); on voluntarily meeting the needs of others, to prevent causing pain to others, and to avoid guilt from feeling selfish (Self-Sacrifice); characterized by an overemphasis on status/money, as a means of gaining approval and attention (Approval-Seeking).

Overvigilance and Inhibition domain shows the tendency on suppressing one’s impulses, and choices rigid, internalized rules and expectations about performance/behavior, often at the expense of happiness, self-expression, and health. Typical family origin is focused on the negative aspects of life, ie, pain, humiliation, conflict, or guilt (Negativity); difficulty expressing vulnerability or communicating freely about one’s feelings and needs (Emotional Inhibition); meet very high internalized standards of behavior and performance, to avoid criticism (Unrelenting Standards); difficulty forgiving mistakes and intolerance/punitive against errors (Punitiveness).