Maladaptive Parenting, Temperament, Early Maladaptive Schemas, and Depression: A Moderated Mediation Analysis

According to the Schema Therapy Model, maladaptive parenting styles interact with a child’s unique temperament in the development of early maladaptive schemas (EMSs), which in turn increase one’s risk for developing pathology. However, few authors have examined the comprehensive model. The purpose of this study was to assess the indirect effect of perceived parenting styles on depressive symptoms through EMSs. Furthermore, a series of moderated mediation analyses were conducted to examine whether the indirect effect varies as a function of temperament. A total of 403 undergraduate students completed measures of perceived parenting experiences, temperament, EMSs, and depressive symptoms. Results indicated that the schema domains of disconnection/rejection and impaired autonomy mediated the relationship between perceived parenting styles and depressive symptoms. Moderation of the indirect effect was only found in two of the twelve tested models. This study lends partial support to the Schema Therapy model and also offers a new way of looking at the interactive nature of the constructs.