Attachment and symptoms of psychopathology: early maladaptive schemas as a cognitive link?

This study investigated whether early maladaptive schemas can explain the relation between attachment anxiety and avoidance dimensions and symptoms of psychopathology. For this purpose, 289 Flemish, Dutch‐speaking, late adolescents participated on a questionnaire study. Using a non‐parametric re‐sampling approach, we investigated whether the association between attachment and psychopathology was mediated by early maladaptive schemas. Results indicate that the association between attachment anxiety and psychopathology is fully mediated by cognitions regarding rejection and disconnection and other‐directedness. The association between attachment avoidance and psychopathology is partly mediated by cognitions regarding rejection and disconnection. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Key Practitioner Message: Our findings suggest that cognitive therapy might be useful in the treatment of attachment‐related psychopathology. Our findings suggest that therapists should be wary for attachment‐related relapse. Especially the cognitive schemas regarding expectations to be rejected or disconnected mediated the association between attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance dimensions and psychopathology.