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Updated: Feb 9, 2026

A Computer-Based Platform for Aiding Clinicians in Eating Disorder Analysis and Diagnosis
Published on: May 10, 2022
Early maladaptive schemas: Similarities and differences between female patients with eating versus substance use
Els Pauwels1,2,3, Eva Dierckx2,3, Katrien Schoevaerts2
1Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Leuven, Belgium.
Abstract:
Personality features are considered to be important factors in the pathogenesis of both eating disorder (ED) and substance use disorder (SUD). This study investigates similarities and differences between these early maladaptive schemas (EMSs) (a) between female patients with ED (N = 179) or SUD (N = 169) and (b) between ED subtypes of the restrictive (N = 52), bulimic type (N = 127), or SUD. In total, 348 female patients (Mage = 29.95; SDage = 8.40) completed the Young Schema Questionnaire. Multivariate analyses of covariance with EMS scales as dependent variables and (a) ED versus SUD and (b) ED subtypes versus SUD as independent variables and age and psychopathology as control variables revealed that ED patients scored significantly higher on Unrelenting Standards, Defectiveness, Social Undesirability, and Failure than did SUD patients. Additionally, when comparing ED subtypes and SUD, bulimic and SUD patients scored significantly higher on Insufficient Self-Control than did restrictive patients. These results confirm the role of EMSs in ED (subtypes) and SUD.
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