Early maladaptive schema, emotion regulation, and general health in prisoner and non-prisoner men: A comparative study

BACKGROUND: Early maladaptive schemas (EMSs) and difficulty in emotion regulation are mechanisms leading to dysfunctional behaviors and reduction of mental health; hence, this study aimed to compare EMSs, emotion regulation, and general health in prisoners and non-prisoners. METHODS: The research method was causal-comparative (post-event). Statistical society comprised all of prisoners and non-prisoners in Fuman City in Iran. Of them, 100 prisoners were selected using random sampling and they were compared with 100 matched non-prisoner men based on the inclusion criteria and. Non-prisoners were matched with prisoners in terms of age, job, and education level. Both groups filled out Young Early Maladaptive Schemas Questionnaire (YEMSQ), Persian version of the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ-P), and 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). Data were analyzed using independent t-test and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). RESULTS: A significant difference was observed between two groups in total score of EMSs, emotion regulation, and general health (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: There is a significant difference between two groups in general health, maladaptive schema, and emotion regulation which indicates that EMSs, inability to regulate emotions, and low general health could play a critical role in criminal behaviors.