How adolescents with disruptive behaviors think and feel.

Schema modes in referred adolescent boys with severe disruptive behaviors.

Early effective interventions are important for adolescents with severe disruptive behaviors. Evidence suggests that schema therapy and, in particular, working with schema modes (“schema modes focused schema therapy”), may be effective in the treatment of adults with severe behavior problems.
However, studies examining schema modes in adolescents with serious disruptive behaviors are scarce. Therefore, it is unclear whether schema modes focused schema therapy may also be a promising approach for adolescents.

This study aims to increase the knowledge about schema modes in adolescents with severe disruptive behaviors.

Using a cross-sectional design we will compare the severity of schema modes of a group of 51 referred adolescent boys with severe disruptive behaviors with a community sample of 51 adolescent boys. Secondary outcomes will be schemas and mental health problems.

Compared to a control group of adolescent boys, referred adolescent boys with severe disruptive behaviors may have:

1. more serious dysfunctional externalising schema modes;

2. more serious early maladaptive schemas regarding experiences of disconnection and rejection in comparison to adolescents without disruptive behaviors.

3. In the group referred adolescent boys, it may be that early maladaptive schemas of disconnection and rejection activate disruptive behaviors through externalising schema modes (mediation analysis).

Participants will fill out three questionnaires at one time point.

This study is a cross-sectional study, not involving any intervention. The participating adolescents will fill out three questionnaires and provide some basic demographic information (e.g. age, school type, social economic status).