Applications of schema therapy in young people: a systematic review

Abstract

Adolescents and young adults are increasingly susceptible to developing mental health conditions, but many young people do not respond well to the current evidence-based treatments. Schema therapy has been effective in adults with mental health conditions, and research suggests it holds promise in adolescents with chronic or treatment-resistant mental health conditions. Our systematic review searched for articles that applied schema therapy in people aged between 12 and 30. Databases searched using the EBSCOHost platform included PubMed MEDLINE, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Psychology and Behavioural Sciences Collection and American Psychological Association PsychInfo. Web of Science and the Cochrane Library was also searched. The quality of each article was assessed using the Mixed Method Appraisal Tool. Twelve studies including 180 participants were found meeting these criteria. These results provided preliminary support for the use of schema therapy in adolescents and young adults experiencing a wide range of mental health conditions including personality, conduct, anxiety, depressive or eating disorders. Our systematic review supports previous research on schema therapy, finding that it could be a promising treatment for young people. The present systematic review identifies directions for future research and provides guidance for clinicians providing schema therapy in this population.

Keywords: Schema therapy; adolescents; mental health; psychological distress; young adults; young people.