Early Maladaptive Schemas are Associated with Adolescents’ Substance and Behavioral Addictions

Unlike the consequences of substance and behavioral addictions and the profle of adolescents with substance and behavioral addictions that were extensively studied, the cognitive distortions that might be responsible to the development and maintenance of substance and behavioral addictions are less understood. The sample comprised 1948 adolescents (756 male and 1192 female) aged 14–18  years (mean age=16.20  years; SD=1.83) who completed the survey anonymously and with parental consent. We examined associations between substance and behavioral addictions and cognitive distortions in the form of early maladaptive schemas among adolescents. Results revealed that early maladaptive schemas are associated with adolescents’ substance and behavioral addictions. From a lay epidemiological perspective, the current research expands our knowledge about addiction among adolescents, ofering potential insights for clinical applications.