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Early Maladaptive Schemas and Dissociation in Adolescent PTSD: Examining Indirect Pathways
Fatma Zehra Bıçakcı1, Alperen Bıkmazer1, Ayşe Beyza Bıçakcı2
1Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, İstanbul Medeniyet University, İstanbul, Türkiye.
Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry
|May 26, 2026
Summary
Early maladaptive schemas and dissociative experiences indirectly link trauma exposure to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom severity in adolescents. Findings suggest potential targets for early interventions in trauma-exposed youth.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
- Trauma Research
Background:
- Trauma exposure and its link to psychopathology, particularly post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), are critical research areas.
- Early maladaptive schemas (EMSs) and dissociative experiences are potential mediators in the trauma-PTSD relationship.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the indirect effects of EMSs and dissociative experiences on PTSD symptom severity in adolescents with trauma histories.
- To explore psychological pathways linking trauma exposure to PTSD in a clinical adolescent sample.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study of 70 Turkish adolescents (aged 14-18) meeting DSM-5 Criterion A for PTSD.
- Assessed five EMS domains using the Young Schema Questionnaire and four dissociative dimensions via the Adolescent Dissociative Experiences Scale.
- Employed bootstrapped multiple indirect effects analysis to examine associations.
Main Results:
- 60% of the sample had current PTSD; sexual abuse was the most frequent trauma.
- The disconnection/rejection and other-directedness schema domains significantly mediated the association between trauma and PTSD severity.
- Depersonalization/derealization also showed a significant indirect association with PTSD symptom severity.
Conclusions:
- This study is the first to examine these indirect associations in an adolescent clinical sample.
- Findings highlight specific EMS domains and dissociative experiences as potential psychological mediators in the trauma-PTSD link.
- Results may inform the development of targeted early interventions for trauma-exposed adolescents.
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