Understanding the relationships between parenting, attachment, schemas and psychosis: A serial mediation analysis

Parenting experiences during childhood have been suggested to inform the development of an individual's attachment style and core schemas. Additionally, parenting, attachment and schemas have all individually been linked to symptoms of psychosis in adulthood. However, there is limited research drawing together these concepts to understand the process by which parenting influences psychosis in adulthood. The current study, therefore, aimed to test a serial mediation model in which attachment and schemas mediate the relationship between parenting experiences and adult experiences of psychosis.

A cross-sectional study collected data from 132 adult participants regarding their childhood caregivers' parenting style, their attachment style, core schemas, and adult symptoms of psychosis.

A serial mediation analysis revealed that the relationship between abusive or overcontrolling parenting and psychosis in adulthood was fully mediated by anxious or disorganized attachment styles and negative schema. The relationship between indifferent parenting and psychosis was fully mediated by avoidant attachment and negative schemas.

The findings support the tested hypotheses suggesting that attachment and schemas act as serial mediators in the relationship between parenting style and psychosis. The results highlight the importance of considering attachment and schemas when working therapeutically with people with psychosis. Further research is needed to elaborate on this understanding, develop early parenting interventions to support parents to foster secure attachment in their children and place a focus on schema change within CBT for psychosis.