Development and Testing of a Relationship Model Between Early Maladaptive Schemas with Cyberchondria with the Mediating Role of Emotion Regulation

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between early maladaptive schemas with cyberchondria with the mediating role of emotion regulation in students. The research method is correlational. The study sample was 337 people who were selected by available method as an online call in the academic year 2020-2021. from among the students of the Islamic Azad University of Tabriz. To collect data, Young's (2007) Early Maladaptive Schema Questionnaire, the Cybercondria Questionnaire (Fergus, 2014) and the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Strategies Questionnaire (Grenfsky et al. 2001) were used. The collected data were analyzed using structural equation tests with Amos software and SPSS 23. Results showed that there is a negative relationship between early maladaptive schemas and positive emotion strategies and a positive relationship with negative emotion strategies. There is a negative relationship between positive emotion strategies and cyperchondria and a positive relationship between negative emotion strategies and cyperchondria. There is no direct relationship between early maladaptive schemas and cyperchondria. There is an indirect relationship between early maladaptive schemas with cyberchondria and the mediating role of cognitive emotion regulation. Finally, the results showed that the variables of primary maladaptive schemas and cognitive regulatory strategies of positive and negative emotions are able to explain 34.4% of the variance of Cypkendria mental illness.