Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-qsmjn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-23T18:28:45.977Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Age neutrality of the Young Schema Questionnaire in patients with a substance use disorder

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 April 2014

Els Pauwels ,
Laurence Claes ,
Eva Dierckx ,
Inge Debast ,
S.P.J. (Bas) Van Alphen ,
Gina Rossi ,
Chris Schotte ,
Els Santens  and
Hendrik Peuskens
Els Pauwels*
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Psychology, Catholic University of Leuven, Tiensestraat 102, 3000 Leuven, Belgium Alexian Brother's Psychiatric Hospital, Liefdestraat 10, 3300 Tienen, Belgium Department of Clinical & Life Span Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
Laurence Claes
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Psychology, Catholic University of Leuven, Tiensestraat 102, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
Eva Dierckx
Affiliation:
Alexian Brother's Psychiatric Hospital, Liefdestraat 10, 3300 Tienen, Belgium Department of Clinical & Life Span Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
Inge Debast
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical & Life Span Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
S.P.J. (Bas) Van Alphen
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical & Life Span Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
Gina Rossi
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical & Life Span Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
Chris Schotte
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical & Life Span Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 101, 1090 Brussel, Belgium
Els Santens
Affiliation:
Alexian Brother's Psychiatric Hospital, Liefdestraat 10, 3300 Tienen, Belgium
Hendrik Peuskens
Affiliation:
Alexian Brother's Psychiatric Hospital, Liefdestraat 10, 3300 Tienen, Belgium
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: Els Pauwels, MA, Liefdestraat, 10, 3300, Tienen, Belgium. Phone: +32-16807732; Fax: +32-16821308. Email: Els.pauwels@ppw.kuleuven.be.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Background:

Young's Schema Focused Therapy (SFT) is gaining popularity in the treatment of older adults. In the context of this therapy, the Young Schema Questionnaire (YSQ) was developed to assess the early maladaptive schemas (EMS). EMS are considered to be relatively stable over time, but research shows that questionnaires often lack face validity in older adults, which makes it difficult to investigate EMS in older adults and their stability across the lifespan.

Methods:

In the present cross-sectional study, we investigated the age neutrality of the Young Schema Questionnaire – Long Form in young (aged 18–34 years), middle-aged (aged 35–59 years), and older (aged 60–75 years) adults in a clinical sample of substance use disorders (N = 321) by examining potential differential item functioning (DIF). While investigating the stability of the schemas, we controlled for substance dependency and clinical symptoms by means of, respectively, the Drug Use Screening Inventory – Revised and the Symptom Checklist-90-R.

Results:

The Bonferroni-adjusted Liu–Agresti Cumulative Common Log-Odds Ratio confirmed large DIF for six items, divided across five schema scales (Mistrust/Abuse, Subjugation, Entitlement, Enmeshment and Self-sacrifice). Of the six items that presented DIF, only one item showed differential test functioning (Entitlement). Overall results show only 3% DIF, implying age neutrality of the questionnaire.

Conclusions:

Current results corroborate that most EMS scales are equally measured across age, and reliable comparisons can be made across the lifespan, allowing for good clinical practice and further research on SFT in older adults. Only for Entitlement, Enmeshment, and Insufficient Self-control, caution is needed when comparing mean scores across the age groups.

Keywords

Young schema therapyYoung Schema Questionnaireolder adultsdifferential item functioningage neutrality
Type
Research Article
Information
International Psychogeriatrics , Volume 26 , Issue 8 , August 2014 , pp. 1317 - 1326
Copyright
Copyright © International Psychogeriatric Association 2014 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Abrams, R. C. and Bromberg, C. E. (2007). Personality disorders in the elderly. Psychiatric Annals, 37, 123. doi:10.1097/JGP.0b013e31813c6b4e.Google Scholar
American Psychiatric Association (ed.). (2000). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: DSM-IV-TR®. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association Google Scholar
Arrindell, W. A. and Ettema, , , J. H. M. (1986). SCL-90. Handleiding Bij Een Multidimensionele Psychopathologie-Indicator. (Scl-90: Manual for a Multidimensional Measure of Psychopathology). Lisse, The Netherlands: Swets Test Services.Google Scholar
Balsis, S., Gleason, M. E., Woods, C. M. and Oltmanns, T. F. (2007). An item response theory analysis of DSM-IV personality disorder criteria across younger and older age groups. Psychology and Aging, 22, 171–185. doi:10.1037/0882-7974.22.1.171.Google Scholar
Carstensen, L. L., Fung, H. H. and Charles, S. T. (2003). Socioemotional selectivity theory and the regulation of emotion in the second half of life. Motivation and Emotion, 27, 103–123. doi:10.1023/A:1024569803230.Google Scholar
Costa, P. T. Jr., McCrae, R. R., Zonderman, A. B., Barbano, H. E., Lebowitz, B. and Larson, D. M. (1986). Cross-sectional studies of personality in a national sample: II. Stability in neuroticism, extraversion, and openness. Psychology and Aging, 1, 144. doi:10.1037/0882-7974.1.2.144.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Debast, I. et al. (2014). Personality traits and personality disorders in late middle and old age: do they remain stable? A literature review. Clinical Gerontologist. doi:10.1080/07317115.2014.885917.Google Scholar
Giesen-Bloo, J. et al. (2006). Outpatient psychotherapy for borderline personality disorder: randomized trial of schema-focused therapy vs transference-focused psychotherapy. Archives of General Psychiatry, 63, 649. doi:10.1001/archpsyc.63.6.649.Google Scholar
Lee, C. W., Taylor, G. and Dunn, J. (1999). Factor structure of the schema questionnaire in a large clinical sample. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 23, 441–451. doi:10.1023/A:1018712202933.Google Scholar
Oltmanns, T. F. and Balsis, S. (2011). Personality disorders in later life: questions about the measurement, course, and impact of disorders. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 7, 321. doi:10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-090310-120435.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pauwels, E. et al. (2013). Validation and reliability of the young schema questionnaire in a flemish inpatient eating disorder and alcohol and substance use disorder sample. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 37, 647–656. doi:10.1007/s10608-012-9501-4.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Penfield, R. D. (2007). DIFAS 4.0. Differential Item Functioning Analysis System: User's Manual. Unpublished manuscript.Google Scholar
Penfield, R. D. and Algina, J. (2006). A generalized DIF effect variance estimator for measuring unsigned differential test functioning in mixed format tests. Journal of Educational Measurement, 43, 295–312. doi:10.1111/j.1745-3984.2006.00018.x.Google Scholar
Rijkeboer, M. M., van den Bergh, H. and van den Bout, J. (2011). Item bias analysis of the Young Schema-Questionnaire for psychopathology, gender, and educational level. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 27, 65. doi:10.1027/1015-5759/a000044.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Roberts, B. W., Walton, K. E. and Viechtbauer, W. (2006). Patterns of mean-level change in personality traits across the life course: a meta-analysis of longitudinal studies. Psychological Bulletin, 132, 3–27. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.132.1.1.Google Scholar
Schmidt, N. B., Joiner, T. E., Young, J. E. and Telch, M. J. (1995). The Schema Questionnaire: investigation of psychometric properties and the hierarchical structure of a measure of maladaptive schemas. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 19, 295–321. doi:10.1007/BF02230402.Google Scholar
Segal, D. L., Coolidge, F. L. and Rosowsky, E. (2006). Personality Disorders and Older Adults: Diagnosis, Assessment, and Treatment. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley.Google Scholar
Tarter, R. and Kirisci, L. (2001). Validity of the drug use screening inventory for predicting DSM-III-R substance use disorder. Journal of Child Adolescence Substance Abuse, 10, 45–53. doi:10.1300/J029v10n04_05.Google Scholar
Van Alphen, S. P. J., Engelen, G. J. J. A., Kuin, Y., Hoijtink, H. J. A. and Derksen, J. J. L. (2006). A preliminary study of the diagnostic accuracy of the Gerontological Personality Disorders Scale (GPS). International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 21, 862–868. doi:10.1002/gps.1572.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Van Alphen, S. P. J. et al. (2012). Age related aspects and clinical implementations of diagnosis and treatment of personality disorders in older adults. Clinical Gerontologist, 1, 27–41. doi:10.1080/07317115.2011.628368.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Van den Broeck, J., Rossi, G., Dierckx, E. and De Clercq, B. (2012). Age-neutrality of the NEO-PI-R: potential differential item functioning in older versus younger adults. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 34, 361–369. doi:10.1007/s10862-012-9287-4.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Van den Broeck, J., Van Alphen, S. P. J., Rossi, G., Dierckx, E. and Segal, D. L. (submitted) Personality assessment in older adults: the value of personality questionnaires unraveled.Google Scholar
Van den Broeck, J., Bastiaansen, L., Rossi, G., Dierckx, E. and De Clercq, B. (2013). Age-neutrality of the trait facets proposed for personality disorders in DSM-5: a DIFAS analysis of the PID-5. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 35, 487–494. doi:10.1007/s10862-013-9364-3.Google Scholar
Videler, A. C., Van Royen, R. J. J. and Van Alphen, S. P. J. (2012). Schema therapy with older adults: call for evidence. International Psychogeriatrics, 24, 1186–1187. doi:10.1017/S1041610211002638.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Waller, G., Ohanian, V., Meyer, C. and Osman, S. (2000). Cognitive content among bulimic women: the role of core beliefs. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 28, 235–241. doi:10.1002/1098-108X(200009).3.0.CO;2-1>CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Young, J. E. (1990). Cognitive Therapy for Personality Disorders: A Schema-Focused Approach. Sarasota, FL: Professional Resource Exhange.Google Scholar
Young, J. E. and Brown, G. (1994). Young Schema Questionnaire. In Young, J. E. (ed.), Cognitive Therapy for Personality Disorders: A Schema-Focused Approach, 2nd edn, revised (pp. 63–76). Sarasota, FL: Professional Resource Press.Google Scholar
Young, J. E. and Pijnaker, H. (1999). Cognitieve Therapie voor Persoonlijkheidsstoornissen: Een Schemagerichte Benadering (Cognitive Therapy for Personality Disorders: A Schema-Oriented Approach). Houten, the Netherlands: Bohn Stafleu Van Loghum.Google Scholar