Childhood Traumatic Experiences, Early Maladaptive Schemas and Personality Dysfunctions in Shelter Home Residents

Abstract

This study was designed to investigate childhood traumatic
experiences, early maladaptive schemas and personality
dysfunctions in shelter home residents. The main objective of
this study was to explore the phenomenological experience of
childhood traumatic experience, early maladaptive schemas
and personality dysfunction in shelter home resident. Purposive
sampling technique was used to collect the data. Sample
comprised of five shelter home residents from Lahore, and
Faisalabad. The data were collected using semi-structured
interviews. On the bases of data obtained from structured
interviews we used Deductive Thematic Analysis (DTA) to
assess childhood traumatic experiences, early maladaptive
schemas and personality dysfunctions. Total six super-ordinate
themes were extracted from the responses of the participants by
using DTA analysis. The main themes were abuse, rejection,
loss, cognitive distortion, emotional disturbances and
behavioral problems. The sub-ordinate themes emerged from
abuse is physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, and
verbal abuse. The sub-ordinate themes emerged from rejection
is parental rejection, social rejection, peer rejection, and
romantic rejection. The sub-ordinate themes emerged from loss
is financial loss, and loss of loved ones. The sub-ordinate
themes emerged from distorted cognition is self-blame, suicidal
ideation, obsession, infidelity, and paranoia. The sub-ordinate
themes emerged from emotional disturbances is low mood,
liable mood, fear, irritability, aggression, anxious, and hate.
The sub-ordinate themes emerged from behavioral problems is
verbal outburst, self-harm, avoidance, submissive behavior,
approval seeking behavior and lying.