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Heroin Addiction and Related Clinical Problems: 2019, 21, N1 (pages: 29 - 34)

Early Maladjustment Schemas in Opioid Abstainers, Opioid Abusers and Normal Individuals

Veiskarami H.A., Mirdrikvand F., Khodarahimi S., and Rahmian Bougar M.

Summary: Background: In accordance with the developmental, cognitive, metacognitive and diathesis-stress theories of mental disorders, this study suggests that childhood negative experiences produce some EMSs (Early Maladjustment Schemas) which may subsequently influence the occurrence of opioid addiction in adults. Aim: This study set itself the objective of inquiring into early maladjustment schemas among opioid abstainers, opioid abusers and normal individuals in an Iranian sample. Methods: Participants included 180 young adult males (20-30 years old) who were opioid abstainers (N=60), opioid abusers (N=60) or belonged to the normal control sample selected from the population of Shiraz, Fars province, Iran (N=60). These three groups were matched with respect to their age, marital status, occupation and level of education. The Young Schema Questionnaire-Short Form (YSQ-SF) was used for the measurement of early maladjustment schemas in the present study. Results: The data obtained showed that patients with opioid abuse had significantly higher scores in the emotional deprivation, defectiveness, failure, dependence, vulnerability, enmeshment, self-sacrifice, emotional inhibition and insufficient self control maladjustment schemas, while also showing greater disconnection and rejection, impaired autonomy and performance as well as impaired limits in schematic domains, than individuals in the opioid abstainers and the control group. Conclusions: This study demonstrated the incidence of significantly higher levels of some EMSs in males with opioid addiction.