Schema Therapy for Older Adults.
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Schema Therapy for Older Adults: An investigation into the relationships between early maladaptive schemas, personality traits and emotion regulation strategies.
IRAS ID
138914
Contact name
Shonagh Reid
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Edinburgh
Research summary
Older Adults (OA) encompass a population that have typically been less of a focus among researchers. This has led to restriction in availability and access to evidence based treatments for psychological difficulties. Many OA referred to secondary care mental health services have chronic and complex psychological difficulties. The availability of psychological therapies for OA with these difficulties is poor. Schema therapy is an integrative therapy which expands on traditional cognitive behavioural (CBT) approaches by placing greater emphasis on the childhood origins of psychological problems and maladaptive coping styles. It was developed by Young and colleagues (1990, 1999) as a therapy to use with individuals presenting with chronic, entrenched and complex psychological difficulties. Its main evidence base was established within working age adults presenting with Borderline Personality Disorder, however it has grown in popularity and is ever expanding to a variety of populations and psychiatric diagnoses. Chronic, entrenched and complex psychological difficulties are characterised by individuals having difficulties with emotion regulation. Schema therapy aims to address this core feature chronic/complex psychological difficulties.
The study aims to understand the relationships between what we believe about our selves and the world around us (schemas), how we manage our emotions and personality. This study will be the first of its kind to investigate the relationships between these processes (schemas, personality traits and emotion regulation strategies) indicating (at a preliminary stage) whether Schema Therapy may be an appropriate line of treatment for this population. A study using a cross-sectional quantitative design will be used. Participants will complete Young’s Schema Questionnaire, the Coolidge Axis II Inventory and the Regulation of Emotion Questionnaire. The data will then be analysed through correlations and multiple regression analysis.
REC name
North of Scotland Research Ethics Committee 1
REC reference
14/NS/0049
Date of REC Opinion
28 Mar 2014
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion