The Early Maladaptive Schemas of Self-Mutilators: Implications for Therapy

The present study explored the Early Maladaptive Schemas (EMS) of individuals who engage in self-mutilation. One hundred five participants (34 males and 71 females) from a community site and from two clinical sites participated in the study. Four EMS differentiated self-mutilators from nonmutilators: Mistrust/Abuse, Emotional Deprivation, Social Isolation/Alienation, and Insufficient Self-Control/Self-Discipline. The following schemas were also found to differentiate repetitive self-mutilators from nonmutilators and from self-mutilators who had engaged in only one episode of self-mutilation: Emotional Deprivation, Social Isolation/Alienation, Defectiveness/Shame, and Insufficient Self-Control/Self-Discipline. Finally, the Social Isolation/Alienation schema was found to be endorsed more strongly as the number of self-mutilative episodes increased. The results are largely in accord with the theoretical suppositions of schema theory. The clinical implications of these findings are discussed in the context of schema therapy.