Table 1.
Short descriptions of the 18 early maladaptive schemas proposed by Young et al. [32] and their organization into four schema domains [33]
| Schema domains and early maladaptive schemas | Short descriptions |
|---|---|
| Disconnection and Rejection domain | |
| Emotional deprivation | The assumption that others will not meet one’s emotional needs. |
| Social isolation | A sense that one is set apart/different from other people. |
| Emotional inhibition | The tendency to suppress the expression of emotions and to have difficulties relating freely to others. |
| Defectiveness/shame | The assumption that one is full of flaws, and if these are exposed, one would lose the respect or love of others. |
| Mistrust | Distrust in others’ intentions or expected abuse. |
| Negativity/pessimism | The inclination to focus on the negative areas in life, with an expectation that things will end badly. |
| Impaired Autonomy and Performance domain | |
| Dependence/incompetence | The assumption that one is incapable of handling everyday obligations without substantial assistance from others. |
| Failure to achieve | A conviction that one is a failure in regard to achievements. |
| Subjugation | Surrender of control to other people, due to the fear of negative reactions, usually implying a belief that one’s thoughts and feelings are not important. |
| Abandonment | A feeling of instability in support from significant others. |
| Enmeshment | Over involvement with significant others. |
| Vulnerability to harm | Fear of medical, mental and/or external catastrophes. |
| Excessive Responsibility and Standards domain | |
| Self-sacrifice | The tendency to prioritize others’ needs ahead of one own needs. |
| Unrelenting standards | The assumption that one must meet one’s own high standards of achievement and behavior. |
| Punitiveness | The assumption that one and others should be disciplined for mistakes. |
| Impaired Limits domain | |
| Entitlement | A conviction of superiority. |
| Approval-seeking | The tendency to seek approval and connection with other people and to be sensitive to the reactions of other. |
| Insufficient self-control | Challenges with frustration tolerance and self-control. |