Childhood abuse and maladaptive coping in care leavers: An exploratory study on attachment and Early Maladaptive Schemas.
Melanie Jarvis, Katy Sivyer, Emma Selwood and 1 others
PMID 40418814WHAT IT FOUND
Care leavers reported very high childhood maltreatment, attachment insecurity and maladaptive coping.
In this small study, anxiety about closeness and beliefs about rejection were linked to more coping difficulties; avoidance was linked to fewer.
Key findings
01Care leavers reported high levels of childhood maltreatment, attachment insecurity, early maladaptive schemas and maladaptive coping.
02Childhood maltreatment alone did not significantly predict maladaptive coping.
03In the final analysis, attachment anxiety and the disconnection and rejection schema domain were positive predictors of maladaptive coping, while attachment avoidance was a negative predictor.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study had only 53 participants, and 39 of them completed the schema questionnaire, so the schema findings were based on a smaller group. The sample was self-selected through charities and social media, so it may not represent all care leavers. The design was cross-sectional, so it cannot show that maltreatment, attachment or schemas caused maladaptive coping. There was no non-care-leaver control group, so findings cannot be said to be exclusive to care leavers. The authors state the study was likely underpowered, so some relationships may have been missed or wrongly ruled out. Attachment was measured by self-report, which may have been insensitive for attachment avoidance.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as evidence that childhood maltreatment causes maladaptive coping or that schema therapy works. The study was cross-sectional, had 53 participants, was likely underpowered, and tested associations rather than an intervention.