Filip Jędrysiak, Alicja Bejnar, Alicja Raczak Early maladaptive schemas and difficulties in interpersonal intimacy: the role of psychological flexibility

Abstrakt

Objectives: The aim of the study was to analyze the relationship between early maladaptive schemas (EMS) from the disconnection and rejection domain and difficulties in interpersonal intimacy as well as to verify whether psychological flexibility (PF) plays a mediating or moderating role in this relationship.

Methods: The study involved 302 adults (M = 35.6, SD = 13.7) who completed a set of online questionnaires: the YSQ-S3-PL, the intimacy subscale from the FIAT-Q-SF, and six instruments measuring PF processes (AAQ-II, CFQ, FMI, SEQ, VQ, CAQ-8). The PF variable was constructed using the CFA method.

Results: EMS from the disconnection and rejection domain were significantly, but moderately, correlated with difficulties in intimacy (ρ = .59, p < .001). PF partially mediated this relationship: higher levels of EMS predicted lower PF (β = -.62, p < .001), and lower PF was associated with greater difficulties in intimacy (β = -.15, p = .01). Furthermore, PF moderated the relationship between EMS and difficulties, as indicated by a significant interaction coefficient (β = .11, p = .01) and a stronger relationship between the variables at high PF values. Model comparison indicated the superiority of the moderation model over the mediation model.

Conclusions: The results suggest that EMS from the disconnection and rejection group are associated with difficulties in interpersonal intimacy. PF both partially mediates and, more importantly, moderates the effect of EMS on difficulties in interpersonal intimacy. The integration of schema therapy with contextual therapies (ACT, FAP) finds strong support in the collected data.