The Relationship between Early Maladaptive Schemas, Maternal Attachment Styles, and Anxiety Disorders in Children

This study sought to determine the relationship between early maladaptive schemas, maternal attachment styles and anxiety disorders in children. The design of the present study was correlational and descriptive. The population of the study comprised the entire eight- to thirteen-year-old primary school boys and their mothers in the academic year 2015-2016 in District one of Tehran. Convenience sampling was utilized and 140 students alongside their mothers were selected. In the next step, the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders (SCARED) was administered to the students. In addition, the mothers were evaluated with the Young Schema Questionnaire-Short Form (YSQ-SF) as well as Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) (Hazan & Shaver, 1987). The data were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficient and multivariable regression. Results showed that abandonment schema and secure attachment of mothers were associated with anxiety disorders in children and could also predict the dependent variable. Accordingly, clinical experts need to focus attention on the findings of this study as secondary preventive measures in counseling and psychotherapy.