How do schema modes and mode factors align with defense styles and personality disorder symptoms?

Abstract

Maladaptive schema modes (or modes) are a key concept in schema therapy; they reflect sets of currently activated maladaptive schemas, schema-evoked emotional distress, and coping attempts. Drawing on a set of 20 modes, this study aimed to replicate personality disorder (PD)-specific mode models, to investigate relationships among modes, higher order mode factors (i.e., Internalization, Externalization, and Compulsivity), and defense styles and to test the contributions of higher order mode factors and defense styles to variance in PD symptoms. The sample consisted of N = 533 German-speaking psychiatric inpatients. A total of 67 practically significant correlations between 20 modes and 10 PD scores were found (range: |.44| to |.76|), and 36 out of 47 hypothesized PD-mode associations were confirmed. In a series of 23 regression analyses, the immature, neurotic, and mature defense styles showed 23, 10, and 12 significant effects on mode variables, respectively. Defense styles jointly accounted for 9.0% to 42.4% of variance in mode variables after controlling for the effects of age and sex, implying that modes and defense styles are related yet distinguishable constructs. Finally, mode factors and defense styles independently accounted for unique variance in all 10 PD scores, with mode factors contributing significantly more to variance in antisocial, obsessive-compulsive, and avoidant PD symptoms. Implications of the results for theory and practice are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).