Abstract:

University students face challenges during their studies such as financial problems, academic difficulties, and lack of facilities (accommodation, transportation, and library). Students experience more anxiety and stress which lead to risky behaviors. Risky behaviors are one of the most important issues which threaten mental health of students. Nowadays, there are lots of controversies centered this issue among authorities. According to recent studies, early maladaptive schema domains are related to risky behaviors in students. Lack of comprehensive research on the relationship between early maladaptive schemas and risky behaviors among university students in Iran motivated the researchers to conduct this study.

This study investigates the relationship between early maladaptive schema domains (Disconnection and Rejection, Impaired Autonomy and Performance, Impaired Limits, Other-Directedness, over vigilance/Inhibition) and risky behaviors among university students. To achieve the aims of this study particular objective is as follow: To determine the relationship between early maladaptive schema domains and risky behaviors among first-year university students.

This study employed a descriptive correlational design. A number of 200 students were selected by multi-stage cluster sampling from all undergraduates in the faculty of Management and Accounting at Allameh Tabataba'i University in Tehran, Iran. Young Schema Questionnaire- Short Form (YSQ-SF) with 75 questions and Risky Behaviors Questionnaire (adult’s version) with 102 questions were used in order to collect data. Data were analyzed using Pearson Correlation.

The result of Pearson Correlation showed a significant positive relationship between all early maladaptive schema domains (Disconnection and Rejection, Impaired Autonomy and Performance, Impaired Limits, Other-Directedness, over vigilance/Inhibition) and risky behaviors among university students.

Findings indicated that early maladaptive schema domains are related to risky behaviors; it means those who have more risky behaviors have also more maladaptive schema domains. The result of this study provides psychologists with some features of personality and behaviors among students that need to be probed further. Moreover, the findings present useful information to professionals working in the fields of counseling.

Keywords:

Early maladaptive schema domains, risky behaviors, university students.