The Influence of Early Maladaptive Schemas on Recovery and Psychological Capital in Borderline Personality Disorder Clients: Findings From Rural Dwelling Sample.

Abstract

Introduction: Early maladaptive schemas (EMSs) are among the key vulnerability factors explaining the development and persistence of symptoms in borderline personality disorder (BPD). Furthermore, it was suggested that EMSs might impact recovery-related outcomes, including psychological and recovery capital, among individuals with BPD.

Aims: To investigate the relationship among EMSs, psychological and recovery capital in individuals with BPD disorder.

Method: A descriptive correlational research design was conducted in Minya Outpatients' Psychiatric Hospital Clinic, using the Young Schema Questionnaire-Short Form (YSQ-S2), Psychological Capital Questionnaire (PCQ) and Recovery Assessment Scale (RAS) to collect data from 200 individuals with BPD.

Result: The findings suggest that EMSs significantly correlated with the total psychological and recovery capital scores (0.119, 0.024 and -0.025, 0.05). Moreover, linear regression analyses exhibit that EMSs, regarding social isolation failure and vulnerability to harm, are significant negative predictors of recovery capital (t = -2.760, p = 0.006 and t = -3.919, p < 0.001, respectively).

Implication: The complex interplay between EMSs and recovery-related outcomes provides valuable insights for planning and implementing structured psychotherapeutic interventions based on specific schema patterns. Our existing findings can also serve as a valuable reference for mental health nursing in clinical practice by enhancing their understanding of the underlying causes of maladaptive behaviours commonly seen in BPD, allowing them to tailor patient-centred care interventions and thereby reduce the risk of relapse.