Childhood Traumatic Experiences, Early Maladaptive Schemas and Personality Dysfunctions in Shelter Home Residents

Abstract

This study was designed to investigate childhood traumatic experiences, early maladaptive schemas and personality dysfunctions in shelter home residents. The main objective of this study was to explore the phenomenological experience of childhood traumatic experience, early maladaptive schemas and personality dysfunction in shelter home resident. Purposive sampling technique was used to collect the data. Sample comprised of five shelter home residents from Lahore, and Faisalabad. The data were collected using semi-structured interviews. On the bases of data obtained from structured interviews we used Deductive Thematic Analysis (DTA) to assess childhood traumatic experiences, early maladaptive schemas and personality dysfunctions. Total six super-ordinate themes were extracted from the responses of the participants by using DTA analysis. The main themes were abuse, rejection, loss, cognitive distortion, emotional disturbances and behavioral problems. The sub-ordinate themes emerged from abuse is physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, and verbal abuse. The sub-ordinate themes emerged from rejection is parental rejection, social rejection, peer rejection, and romantic rejection. The sub-ordinate themes emerged from loss is financial loss, and loss of loved ones. The sub-ordinate themes emerged from distorted cognition is self-blame, suicidal ideation, obsession, infidelity, and paranoia. The sub-ordinate themes emerged from emotional disturbances is low mood, liable mood, fear, irritability, aggression, anxious, and hate. The sub-ordinate themes emerged from behavioral problems is verbal outburst, self-harm, avoidance, submissive behavior, approval seeking behavior and lying.