The Role of Childhood Abuse in Predicting Core and Compensatory Schemas among University Students

Aim: This study aims to predict core and compensatory schemas based on childhood abuse. Method: Four hundred and twenty-two students were selected from three universities in Tehran (Iran) through cluster random sampling from May to July 2019. The Child Abuse Self-Report Questionnaire (Nourbakhsh, 2103), and the Young Schema Questionnaire (Young, 1998) were applied. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 25 and the model was analyzed by Pearson correlation coefficient and multivariate regression with the stepwise method in a descriptive correlational study. Results: The results showed that all the components of childhood abuse had a significant effect on the core schemas. Also, some types of childhood abuse (physical, emotional, and neglect) had positive significant effects on compensatory schemas. Moreover, neglect and emotional abuse (β= 0.46, P 0.05) had the greatest impact on the core schemas, and emotional abuse (β= 0.35, P 0.05) had the greatest impact on the compensatory schemas. The results of this study could have therapeutic implications for psychotherapists working with childhood abuse survivors and schema therapists. Conclusion: Based on the results of this study we can imply that psychotherapists working with childhood abuse survivors, especially schema therapists can try to find the EMSs, especially the core schemas (due to their unconditional nature and the fact that if the core schemas are not created, the compensatory schemas will not be formed) and treat them so that the damages resulting from the experience of childhood abuse can be reduced.