Introduction: Early Maladaptive Schemas (EMSs)—deeply ingrained, pervasive, and enduring cognitive patterns originating from adverse childhood experiences—play a decisive role in the formation of personality traits and subsequent psychopathology. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between specific early maladaptive schemas (namely Abandonment/Instability, Emotional Deprivation, and Defectiveness/Shame) with perfectionism and social anxiety. Additionally, the mediating roles of the feeling of shame and the experience of emotional deprivation within these pathways were evaluated.
Method: The research design was a descriptive-correlational study utilizing Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The statistical population comprised adults aged 20 to 45 years who had referred to psychological counseling centers. The research instruments included the Young Schema Questionnaire (YSQ), the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale, the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS), the Internalized Shame Scale (ISS), and the Emotional Deprivation Scale.
Results: The findings revealed a statistically significant positive relationship between the schemas of Abandonment, Defectiveness/Shame, and Emotional Deprivation with both perfectionism and social anxiety. Furthermore, path analysis results indicated that the feeling of shame and the experience of emotional deprivation play substantial mediating roles in transmitting the effects of early maladaptive schemas onto perfectionism and social anxiety.
Conclusion: Beyond validating the theoretical foundations of Schema Therapy, these empirical outcomes can assist clinicians and therapists in identifying and restructuring maladaptive core schemas, thereby alleviating debilitating psychological symptoms. Particularly in the clinical treatment of clients suffering from maladaptive perfectionism and social anxiety, focusing interventions on reducing internalized shame and addressing unmet core emotional needs can significantly enhance their overall psychological functioning.