Introduction: Adverse relational experiences in childhood, such as the perception of parental rejection, are frequently described in the literature as risk factors for the development of early maladaptive cognitive schemas and psychopathology in adulthood. Applying network analysis to these structures provides a more nuanced understanding of their interactions, going beyond the limitations of traditional linear models.
Objective: The present study aims to investigate the systemic interplay between perceived maternal and paternal parenting styles, core schema domains, and general psychopathology.
Method: The study included a community sample of 103 participants (78% female; M_age = 26.4 years, range: 18-60). Participants completed the Parental Acceptance-Rejection Questionnaire (PARQ), the Young Schema Questionnaire (YSQ), and the Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation - Outcome Measure (CORE-OM). A regularized partial correlation network was estimated, and centrality indices (Strength, Betweenness, Expected Influence) were calculated.
Results: The analysis revealed a stable network where the schema domain of Disconnection and Rejection emerged as the most central node, showing the highest Strength and Expected Influence. Maternal Indifference and Psychopathology functioned as key bridges, evidenced by high Betweenness scores, connecting different clusters of variables. The Impaired Limits schema domain exhibited the most negative expected influence, suggesting a potentially inhibitory role.
Conclusions: These preliminary findings underscore the pivotal role of the Disconnection and Rejection schema domain as a core mechanism linking parental behaviors to psychological distress. The central bridging role of maternal indifference and psychopathology highlights their importance in the network. Clinically, these results suggest that targeting the Disconnection schema could be an effective intervention point, though further research on larger samples is needed to validate this network structure.