The importance of parental socialization and Early Maladaptive Schemas in the development and maintenance of psychological symptoms in young adults

Explores the relationship between recollections of parenting, Early Maladaptive Schemas (EMS), and symptoms of depression and anxiety in a sample of undergraduate students attending California State University, San Bernardino (N = 232). A correlational-regression approach was adopted to test the hypothesis. Parental socialization was measured with three different subscales. Psychological adjustment was measured by the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised. Early Maladaptive Schema was measured with the Schema Questionnaire-Short Form. Partial mediation of EMS was found with maternal connection and psychological control, but not with paternal socialization. Findings lend support to the schema model and suggest that clinical work with adults suffering from depression and/or anxiety may need to identify and re-structure EMS that develop from toxic parenting