Structural Model of Early Maladaptive Schemas and Body Dysmorphic Disorder with the Mediating Role of Perfectionism among Female High School Students in Marand City

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Mara.C., Islamic Azad University, Marand, Iran

2 Department of Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran

3 Clinical Research Development Unit, Razi Hospital, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran

10.22034/jmpr.2026.72586.7060

Abstract

The present study aimed to investigate the structural model of early maladaptive schemas and body dysmorphic disorder with the mediating role of perfectionism among female high school students in Marand. The present research was a descriptive-correlational study conducted using structural equation modeling (SEM). The statistical population included all female high school students in Marand city during the academic year 2024. Based on Klein’s (2023) recommendation and using convenience sampling, 385 participants were selected, of whom data from 370 participants were analyzed after removing outliers. Data were collected using the Young Schema Questionnaire–Short Form (1994), the Tehran Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale developed by Besharat (2009), and the Body Dysmorphic Disorder Questionnaire developed by Rabiei et al. (2011). Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 29 and AMOS version 24. The findings indicated that the Disconnection/Rejection schema domain had a significant direct effect on perfectionism (β = 0.59, p < 0.01) and body dysmorphic disorder (β = 0.20, p < 0.05). Moreover, the Other-Directedness domain significantly affected perfectionism (β = 0.28, p < 0.05), and the Over vigilance/Inhibition domain had significant effects on perfectionism (β = 0.12, p < 0.05) and body dysmorphic disorder (β = 0.25, p < 0.01). In addition, perfectionism had a significant direct effect on body dysmorphic disorder (β = 0.41, p < 0.01). Bootstrap results further demonstrated that perfectionism played a significant mediating role in the relationships between the schema domains of Disconnection/Rejection, Other-Directedness, and Over vigilance/Inhibition with body dysmorphic disorder. The proposed model showed an acceptable fit to the data (CFI = 0.94, TLI = 0.90, RMSEA = 0.078) and explained 62% of the variance in body dysmorphic disorder. The findings suggest that early maladaptive schemas and perfectionism are important factors associated with body dysmorphic disorder in adolescents, and addressing these constructs may contribute to the development of effective preventive and therapeutic interventions.

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References

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Journal of Modern Psychological Researches

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 26 September 2026

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  • Receive Date: 23 May 2026
  • Revise Date: 27 June 2026
  • Accept Date: 04 July 2026

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