Comparison of early maladaptive schemas and attachment styles in women with vaginismus and normal women

Early maladaptive schemas and insecure attachment styles are the basis of many psychological disorders. This study was performed with aim to identify the early maladaptive schemas and attachment styles in women with vaginismus and comparing with normal women.

This scientific-comparative study was performed on two 30 cases groups (women with vaginismus and normal women) in 2014. Women with vaginismus were selected by convenience and purposeful sampling method by referring from gynecologist، psychiatrists and psychologists in Tehran، and were compared with normal women who were matched with first group in term of age and education. Data collection was performed by Young Schema Questionnaire- short form (YSQ-SF) and Collins and Read Revised Adult Attachment Scale (RAAS). Data were analyzed by SPSS software (version 20) and multiple variance analyses (MANOVA). P<0. 05 was considered statistically significant.

The mean score of all early maladaptive schemas in women with vaginismus was significantly more than normal women (P<0. 01). Attachment styles of two groups were significantly different in terms of closeness and anxiety (P<0. 01). So that، the women vaginismus significantly more used the anxiety style and less used closeness style than normal women. There was no significant difference between two groups in dependent attachment style (P=0. 1).

The women with vaginismus had more early maladaptive schemas and anxiety attachment style comparing to normal women.