The mediating role of cognitive emotion regulation strategies and social self-efficacy in the relationship between early maladaptive schemas and social anxiety in adolescent girls

Social anxiety is one of the factors that disrupts the process of social development in individuals. Numerous studies have confirmed the relationship between early maladaptive schemas and social anxiety, but the key question is whether cognitive emotion regulation strategies and social self-efficacy can play a mediating role in the relationship between early maladaptive schemas and social anxiety?

The purpose of this study was to investigate the mediating role of cognitive emotion regulation strategies and social self -efficacy in the relationship between early maladaptive schemas and social anxiety in adolescent girls.

The present study was a descriptive correlational study and structural equation modeling. The statistical population included all female high school students in Ilam who were 3822 individuals studying in the 2020-2021 academic year. among these students 360 students were selected by multi-stage cluster sampling method and completed the Anxiety Scale for Adolescents (La Greca & Lopez, 1998), Early Maladaptive Schemas Questionnaire- Short form (Yong,1998), Cognitive Emotion Regulation Strategies Questionnaire- Short form (Granefski & KrajjT, 2006) and Self- efficacy for Social Situations (Gaudiano & Herbert, 2003). For data analysis, path analysis method and SPSS24 and Amos24 software were used.

All direct effects of study variables were significant (p<0/01) but direct effect of impaired limited schema on social anxiety was not significant (p>0/05). Also the indirect effects of early maladaptive schemas on social anxiety through cognitive emotion regulation strategies (adaptive and maladaptive) and social anxiety were significant (p<0/05) and the research model had a good fit.

Early maladaptive schemas can predict levels of social anxiety by influencing cognitive emotion regulation strategies and social self-efficacy. This study highlights the need to pay more attention to adolescent mental health through comprehensive planning to empower them and timely intervention.