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Early maladaptive schemas in adult patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

ADHD Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorders volume 9, pages 101–111 (2017)Cite this article

Abstract

The main purpose of this study was to examine whether adult patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) demonstrate sets of dysfunctional cognitive beliefs and behavioural tendencies according to Jeffrey Young’s schema-focused therapy model. Sets of dysfunctional beliefs (maladaptive schemas) were assessed with the Young Schema Questionnaire (YSQ-S2) in 78 adult ADHD patients and 80 control subjects. Patients with ADHD scored significantly higher than the control group on almost all maladaptive schemas. The ‘Failure’, ‘Defectiveness/Shame’, ‘Subjugation’ and ‘Emotional Deprivation’ schemas were most pronounced in adult ADHD patients, while only ‘Vulnerability to Harm or Illness’ did not differ between the two groups. The schemas which were most pronounced in adult patients with ADHD correspond well with their learning histories and core symptoms. By demonstrating the existence of early maladaptive schemas in adults suffering from ADHD, this study suggests that schema theory may usefully be applied to adult ADHD therapy.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Medical Campus University of Oldenburg, 26111, Oldenburg, Germany

    Alexandra Philipsen, Alexandra P. Lam, Caroline Lücke & Helge H. Müller

  2. Psychiatry and Psychotherapy - University Hospital, Karl-Jaspers-Klinik, Hermann-Ehlers-Straße 7, 26160, Bad Zwischenahn, Germany

    Alexandra Philipsen, Alexandra P. Lam, Caroline Lücke & Helge H. Müller

  3. Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Freiburg, Hauptstr. 5, 79104, Freiburg, Germany

    Alexandra Philipsen & Swantje Matthies

  4. University Hospital of Psychiatry, University of Bern, Bolligenstrasse 111, 3000, Bern 60, Switzerland

    Sigrid Breit

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  1. Alexandra Philipsen
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Conflict of interest

Alexandra Philipsen has received advisory board fees, lecture fees and congress support from Medice; advisory board fees and lecture fees from Lilly, Novartis and Shire, congress support from Servier and Medice, travel grant and lecture fees from Lundbeck within the last 5 years. She has authored books and articles on adult ADHD published by Elsevier, Hogrefe, Schattauer, MWV, Springer, Kohlhammer and Karger. Alexandra P. Lam declares that she received travel grants within the last year from MEDICE Arzneimittel Pütter GmbH and Co KG. Swantje Matthies received a speakers’ fee from Jansen-Cilag and was involved in clinical trials conducted by Janssen-Cilag and Lilly in the years 2007–2009. Caroline Lücke, Helge H. Müller and Sigrid Breit report no conflict of interest.

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Written informed consent was obtained from all participants, and the study was approved by the ethics committee of the University Medical Centre Freiburg. The study was conducted in line with the Declaration of Helsinki.

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Philipsen, A., Lam, A.P., Breit, S. et al. Early maladaptive schemas in adult patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. ADHD Atten Def Hyp Disord 9, 101–111 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12402-016-0211-8

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Keywords

  • Adult ADHD
  • Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
  • Early maladaptive schemas
  • Young Schema Questionnaire