The Relationship Between Early Maladaptive Schemas and Non-suicidal Self-injury: A Systematic Review

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a maladaptive strategy mainly regulating emotions in youth and adolescents. Early maladaptive schemas (EMSs) were identified to affect NSSI. This review aimed to provide a synthesis of the literature on the relationship between EMS and NSSI.

A systematic review was conducted via the electronic databases PsycINFO, PubMed, Science Direct, and Google Scholar. The inclusion criteria were (i) the study examined the relationship between EMSs and NSSI, (ii) full texts were available in the English language, and (iii) the study was a piece of published empirical quantitative research. The authors also evaluated the risk of bias assessment.

Ten studies were investigated. The relationship between EMS and NSSI was identified from different points of view. The results confirmed a developmental model of NSSI and shame that focuses on the function of this behavior to regulate emotions (especially shame) in individuals with a predisposition for emerging EMS and schema modes. A major limitation of this review is the absence of longitudinal research.

It is important to address EMSs and modes that lead to NSSI engagement in both preventive and therapeutic interventions.