Validation of the schema coping inventory for dysfunctional coping strategies

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Schema Therapy

Background:

• Schema Therapy posits that unmet childhood needs lead to early maladaptive schemas (EMS).
• Coping styles emerge as strategies to manage the distress associated with activated EMS.
• Understanding these coping mechanisms is crucial for therapeutic interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To validate and standardize the Schema Coping Inventory (SCI) in the Italian population.
• To examine the psychometric properties of the SCI.
• To explore correlations between the SCI and other psychological variables.

Main Methods:

• Data collected from 602 Italian adults aged 18-69.
• Utilized a structured questionnaire including the Italian version of the SCI and related psychological constructs.
• Employed confirmative factor analysis (CFA) for structural validation.

Main Results:

• CFA confirmed a robust tridimensional structure of the SCI: Surrender, Avoidance, and Overcompensation.
• The inventory demonstrated satisfactory internal consistency.
• Convergent and divergent validity were supported through correlations with other coping and psychopathological measures.

Conclusions:

• The Italian version of the Schema Coping Inventory is a psychometrically sound instrument.
• The findings support the SCI's utility in assessing coping styles linked to early maladaptive schemas within the Italian context.
• The study provides normative data for general, clinical, and non-pathological samples.