Early maladaptive schemas as discriminators of differential attitudes toward substance use among individuals with cluster A, B, and C personality

ABSTRACT

Background

Early Maladaptive Schemas (EMSs), personality traits, and substance use exhibit intricate associations. EMSs could potentially serve as vulnerability factors for substance use and personality disorders. However, there is a paucity of research examining how these schemas influence attitudes toward SU in individuals with different personality clusters.

Aim

To investigate the association of EMSs with substance use and attitudes toward substance use among youth. Also, to identify the EMSs those play a pivotal role in classifying individuals with different attitudes toward substance use.

Method

A total of 155 participants were selected using an incidental sampling method. CAGE-AID. Drug Attitude Scale, Young’s Schema Questionnaire, and MCMI-III were used to measure study variables.

Results

EMSs were found to be significantly associated with CAGE-AID score and attitudes toward substance use among individuals with diverse personality traits. “Fear of losing control,” “Emotional constriction,” and “Punitiveness self-directed” schemas emerged as the most influential predictors differentiating positive, neutral, and negative attitudes toward substance use among individuals with Cluster A, B, and C personality traits, respectively. Those with negativity/pessimism, enmeshment, and subjugation EMSs are more likely to engage in substance use.

Conclusion

EMSs play a crucial role in developing a positive attitude toward substance use.

KEYWORDS:

• Substance use
• attitude toward substance use
• early maladaptive schemas
• personality clusters

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

Deidentified individual participant data (including data dictionaries) that underlie the results reported in this article (text, tables, figures, the informed consent form, and the statistical analysis plan) will be made available for wider use. The data will be made available upon publication and for life time, to the researchers who provide a methologically sound proposal for use in achieving goals of the approved proposal. All available data can be obtained by contacting the corresponding author. Proposals should be submitted to [email protected].

Additional information

Funding

The authors reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.