A Comparative Study of Early Maladaptive Schema Profiles in Individuals Convicted of Homicide and Individuals from the Community: The Moderating Role of Sex.

Background

Early Maladaptive Schemas (EMSs) have been associated with violent and antisocial behavior, but little is known about current EMS profiles among individuals convicted of homicide or whether forensic community differences vary according to sex. This study examined the independent and interactive associations of incarceration status and sex with EMSs.

Methods

This cross-sectional, postdictive study included 492 participants: 246 incarcerated individuals convicted of homicide and 246 community participants. EMSs were assessed using the Young Schema Questionnaire-Short Form 3 (YSQ-S3). A 2 × 2 factorial multivariate analysis of covariance examined the effects of incarceration status, sex, and their interaction across 18 EMSs while controlling for age and educational attainment.

Results

Significant multivariate effects were found for incarceration status, Pillai's Trace = 0.417, F(18, 469) = 18.65, p < 0.001; sex, Pillai's Trace = 0.446, F(18, 469) = 20.94, p < 0.001; and their interaction, Pillai's Trace = 0.411, F(18, 469) = 18.21, p < 0.001. After Bonferroni correction across the 18 outcomes, incarcerated participants reported higher Emotional Deprivation and Abandonment, whereas community participants scored higher on several schemas involving impaired autonomy, negative self-evaluation, emotional overcontrol, impaired limits, and self-regulation. Mistrust/Abuse did not remain a robust aggregate status effect. These marginal patterns were qualified by the interaction: forensic community differences varied substantially by sex, particularly for Failure, Entitlement/Grandiosity, and Insufficient Self-Control/Self-Discipline.

Conclusions

Current EMS profiles were selective and sex-contingent rather than globally elevated among individuals convicted of homicide. Because EMSs were assessed after the offense, conviction, and incarceration, the findings are postdictive and do not establish that the identified schemas predicted or caused homicidal behavior. Schema-informed assessment may complement broader multimethod forensic formulation, but the findings do not establish treatment effectiveness.