Diagnosis of Anxiety Disorders in University Students through the Early Maladaptive Schemas and Beck’s Inventory

Abstract

Aim is to diagnose the prevalence of anxiety disorders using early maladaptive schemas and Beck’s anxiety inventory among students. The present study is a cross-sectional study conducted among 212 students, aged 17 to 25 years, randomly selected from different institutions of the IBN TOFAIL University, located in the city of Kenitra (NW of Morocco). Two neurocognitive tests were used: The Beck Anxiety Inventory to evaluate anxiety & the short version of the early maladaptive schema questionnaire of Schmidt, Joiner, Young and Telch (1995) which was translated in French by Rusinek & Hautekéete (2000) to evaluate schemas. The obtained results of measure of anxiety show that the inadequate early maladaptive schemas positively correlated with the Beck Anxiety Inventory: Emotional deprivation (r = 0.1635, p < 0.05) Isolation (r = 0.2305, p = 0.001) and Insufficient self-control (r = 0.1819, p < 0.01), Abandon (r = 0.2514, p = 0.001) Vulnerability (r = 0.1505, p < 0.05), Fear of losing control (r = 0.1510, p < 0.05). A band appears between early maladaptive schemas and Beck anxiety inventory revealing the existence of anxiety in university students, which has appeared in some maladaptive schemas, especially: Emotional deprivation, Isolation, Insufficient self-control, Abandon, Vulnerability, Fear of losing control. Deeper investigations needed to understand this relationship and to study other possible factors that could affect this important neurocognitive function.