Stability and Continuity of Women’s Core Beliefs and Psychopathological Symptoms from Pregnancy to One Year Postpartum

Dysfunctional beliefs towards motherhood and postpartum depressive and anxiety symptoms: Uncovering the role of experiential avoidance

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to examine the relationship between dysfunctional motherhood-related beliefs and postpartum anxiety and depression symptoms, and whether experiential avoidance may be a potential mechanism in explaining these relationships.

METHOD

A sample of 262 postpartum women participated in a cross-sectional online survey.

RESULTS

The model presented a good fit (CFI = 0.96, RMSEA = 0.077) suggesting that more dysfunctional motherhood-related beliefs related with maternal responsibility and with others' judgments were associated with higher postpartum anxiety and depressive symptoms. Indirect effects through experiential avoidance were also found.

CONCLUSIONS

Dysfunctional motherhood-related beliefs are cognitive vulnerabilities for postpartum psychological disorders and should be assessed to identify women that may be prone to early interventions. Moreover, dysfunctional beliefs seem to affect psychopathological symptoms by activating experiential avoidance strategies (e.g., rumination), which may accentuate the frequency of women's negative thoughts and emotions. Early interventions should target the promotion of acceptance of private negative experiences (psychological flexibility).

Early maladaptive schemas in children: development and validation of the Schema Inventory for Children

A Schema Inventory for Children (SIC) was developed, based on Young's schema model. Its psychometric properties were investigated in a non-clinical multi-ethnic sample of children, aged 8-13 years. The latent structure of the SIC was explored using a cross-validation design. Confirmatory factor analyses yielded satisfying fits for a modified model, that included 8 of the original 15 schema factors, as well as 3 new factors, each containing a theoretically meaningful combination of 2 or 3 original schema factors. Our data suggest that, to a certain extent, children present with the same schemas as identified in adolescents and adults, although some unique, children-specific schemas occurred. SIC item loadings were moderate to good, and all factors showed adequate discriminant validity. However, factor reliability estimates were mediocre, but in most cases still acceptable. Furthermore, results suggest adequate stability for all SIC scales. Finally, strong relations between most of the SIC scales and measures of psychopathology were found, although an opposite pattern of associations emerged for two scales (i.e., Enmeshment and Self-Sacrifice), suggesting that these schemas are not maladaptive -yet- at this young age.

Relationships between early maladaptive schemas and psychosocial developmental task resolution

In schema therapy, early maladaptive schemas (EMS) are hypothesized to be the result of adverse relational experiences in childhood that hinder the resolution of important psychological developmental tasks. The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationships between EMS and the resolution of the developmental tasks that are described in Erikson's scheme of personality development. One hundred and forty-five adult psychiatric outpatients completed measures of EMS and resolution of psychosocial development tasks at two occasions. Results from correlational and regression analyses showed that EMS are generally associated with unsuccessful psychosocial task resolution. Furthermore, schema change predicted changes in the resolution of developmental tasks. These findings give support to Young's theory of schema development.