Effectiveness of Schema-Focused Cognitive Group Therapy on Early Maladaptive Schemas of Homeless and Difficult Parents Adolescents

Introduction: The model of Schema Therapy basically designed for the pathology of parenting and by focusing on the interpersonal relationships from childhood to adulthood has leaded to a decrease level in the early maladaptive schemas and also the neurotic symptoms. The aim of present study was to examine the effectiveness of Schema-focused Cognitive Group Therapy on the adjustment in the early maladaptive schemes of homeless adolescents as well as adolescents with difficult parenting situation.
Method: This applied study has used a pretest - posttest with control group design. The study population consisted of all homeless and difficult parenting adolescents of Behzisty centers in Semnan. Among 31 homeless and difficult parenting adolescents residing in Behzisty centers of Semnan, two groups were selected using a comparative stratified sampling method according to gender of subjects. Accordingly, 16 subjects were assigned to experimental group and 15 remaining individuals were assigned to control group. In the pretest stage, Young's Early Maladaptive Schemas Questionnaire was filled by all subjects (experimental and control group) and schema-focused cognitive group's therapy was administered thereafter on the experimental group adolescents. After 12 therapeutic sessions, both groups repeated questionnaire completion and a follow-up were also made after 30 days. Data was extracted from the questionnaires and analyzed by a MANCOVA statistical analysis.
Results: The results showed no significant differences for the early maladaptive schemas between two groups but a positive trend was observed for 5 schemas.
Conclusion: The Schema-focused Group Therapy could not reduce the early maladaptive schemas of these adolescent in a 12 psychotherapy sessions and it seems that more therapeutic sessions is necessary. A clinically positive trend was found for 1- Enmeshment/Undeveloped self, 2- Unrelenting Standards/Hyper criticalness, 3- Entitlement/Grandiosity, 4-Abandonment/Instability, 5- Emotional inhibition schemas.