A COMPARISON OF EARLY MALADAPTIVE SCHEMAS, EMOTIONAL EXPRESSIVITY, AND ANXIETY SENSITIVITY IN PATIENTS WITH PANIC DISORDER AND HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS

Abstract

The present study aimed to compare early maladaptive schemas, emotional expressivity, and anxiety sensitivity between patients with panic disorder and healthy individuals. This comparative study involved two groups of 30 participants each, consisting of patients with panic disorder and healthy individuals, selected through convenience sampling. The instruments used in this research included the Young Schema Questionnaire (1994), the King and Emmons Emotional Expressivity Questionnaire (1990), the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (1984), and the Taylor and Cox Anxiety Sensitivity Index (1998). Data were analyzed using both descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics through Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA), conducted with SPSS software version 22. The results indicated that individuals with panic disorder exhibit higher levels of early maladaptive schemas and anxiety sensitivity compared to healthy individuals, and they also show distinct patterns of emotional expressivity. These differences suggest that early maladaptive schemas and anxiety sensitivity significantly contribute to increased vulnerability to panic disorder. The findings may inform the development of more effective therapeutic strategies and psychological interventions for individuals with panic disorder. This study enhances our understanding of the psychological differences between patients with panic disorder and healthy individuals and may serve as a foundation for designing improved therapeutic interventions.