Abstract
Dysfunctional parenting has been shown to be related to a variety of forms of psychopathology. Schema Theory proposes that when children's core developmental needs are unmet (“toxic parenting”), maladaptive views of self and others (Early Maladaptive Schemas; EMS) develop. These EMS represent a cognitive vulnerability to future psychopathology. Research has shown that several EMS mediated the relationship between recollections of parenting and depressive symptoms. The goal of the present study is to address limitations in previous research by utilizing multiple mediation models that will examine previously supported mediators in the literature simultaneously. Participants were 222 College students. Results of bootstrap multiple mediation analyses revealed that when shared variance is addressed, only the EMS of vulnerability to harm mediated the relationship between recollections of maternal bonding and current depression. These findings support the role of EMS as a cognitive diathesis in the development of depressive symptoms.
