Early maladaptive schemas (EMSs) are persistent dysfunctional beliefs that form in childhood and are thought to underlie chronic and recurring psychopathology. EMSs have been categorized into five...Show moreEarly maladaptive schemas (EMSs) are persistent dysfunctional beliefs that form in childhood and are thought to underlie chronic and recurring psychopathology. EMSs have been categorized into five broader schema domains. Transdiagnostic depressive symptoms entail depressive symptoms observed across various psychological disorders. We studied the relative contribution of the five EMS domains on transdiagnostic depressive symptoms in a cross-sectional within-subjects design. The sample consisted of students from Leiden University (N = 125) participating for course credit or monetary rewards, of which 91.2% were assigned the sex female at birth and 8.8% male (median age = 19, IQR = 2). Participants completed measures of the Young Schema Questionnaire 3 - short form (YSQ-S3) and the DSM-5 self-rated level 1 cross-cutting symptom measure – Adult (DSM-XC). Pearson correlations were inspected between each EMS domain and transdiagnostic depressive symptoms. A multiple regression analysis including the total scores of the five EMS domains as predictors was carried out. Individually, the EMS domains Disconnection & Rejection, Impaired Autonomy & Performance, Impaired Limits, Other-directedness, and Overvigilance & Inhibition were positively associated with transdiagnostic depressive symptoms (rs .451, .365, .289, .298, .345, p < .001), as hypothesized. The joint effect of the five EMS domains was positively associated with transdiagnostic depressive symptoms (Adj. R2 = .18, F(7, 117) = 4.88, p <.001). Interestingly, when holding the other domains constant, only the Disconnection & Rejection domain significantly predicted transdiagnostic depressive symptoms in the model (β = .44, 95% CI [.15, .74], p = .004). The domain groups the beliefs about expectations that one’s needs for security and stability will not be met predictably. Our findings suggest that each EMS domain is positively related to transdiagnostic depressive symptom severity in a university student population. The Disconnection & Rejection domain, relative to the other four domains, seems to uniquely contribute to transdiagnostic depressive symptoms. Future research could test whether identifying and changing the EMSs someone has in psychotherapy could reduce their transdiagnostic depressive symptoms across different psychological disorders. It remains a question if paying specific attention to the Disconnection & Rejection domain in psychotherapeutic treatment could improve the reduction of transdiagnostic depressive symptoms.Show less
Rationale: Studies show a direct, dose-response link between childhood maltreatment and insomnia in adulthood. Insomnia is often a precursor of depressive and anxiety disorders. Moreover, insomnia...Show moreRationale: Studies show a direct, dose-response link between childhood maltreatment and insomnia in adulthood. Insomnia is often a precursor of depressive and anxiety disorders. Moreover, insomnia may be an important transdiagnostic factor in the impact of childhood maltreatment on depression and anxiety. The association of childhood maltreatment subtypes with adulthood insomnia in clinical and control populations remains unclear. Objectives: To investigate the contributions of the (1) overall severity of childhood maltreatment and (2) severity of childhood maltreatment subtypes to the long-term burden of adulthood insomnia with and without lifetime depressive and/or anxiety disorders. Methods: Data (N = 1609; nclinical = 1285) was obtained from the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety, a naturalistic multi-site project containing six assessment waves over nine years. Measurements included the Composite Interview Diagnostic Instrument - lifetime version, the Women's Health Initiative Insomnia Rating Scale, and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire - short form. Analyses included separate multiple linear regressions controlling for gender. Findings: Overall childhood maltreatment correlated positively with the long-term burden of insomnia among clinical and control samples. All maltreatment subtypes were associated positively with the insomnia burden in the clinical sample, and only emotional abuse with the burden among controls. Females showed a higher burden than males in analyses with subtypes among controls. Conclusions: Further research is needed to verify the generalizability and robustness of results and explore potential risk/resilience moderators of this link. Clinical work may target insomnia prevention strategies among adults exposed to childhood maltreatment, especially females and individuals with lifetime depression and/or anxiety.Show less
