Emotion regulation as a central mechanism linking early maladaptive schemas and maladaptive eating behaviors.

BACKGROUND Early maladaptive schemas (EMS) are conceptualized as enduring cognitive-emotional vulnerabilities that may predispose individuals to maladaptive eating behaviors. Although associations between EMS and dysregulated eating have been documented, the cognitive-emotional processes underlying these relationships remain insufficiently understood. This study examined whether difficulties in emotion regulation constitute a key psychological pathway linking EMS with maladaptive eating behaviors.

METHODS A large community sample of adults (N = 1500; aged 18-65 years) completed validated self-report measures assessing early maladaptive schemas, difficulties in emotion regulation (DERS), and maladaptive eating behaviors, including emotional overeating (EO), habitual overeating (HO), and dietary restraint (DR). Path analysis examined direct and indirect associations among variables. Network analysis (EBICglasso) was conducted as an exploratory approach to examine cognitive-emotional-behavioral organization.

RESULTS Path analysis indicated that higher levels of EMS were positively associated with greater difficulties in emotion regulation, which were positively related to emotional overeating, habitual overeating, and dietary restraint (all p < .001). Significant indirect associations were observed between EMS and maladaptive eating via difficulties in emotion regulation. Network analysis converged with these findings, identifying difficulties in emotion regulation as the most central node linking cognitive vulnerability with eating-related behaviors, with strongest connections for emotional and habitual overeating.

CONCLUSIONS Across analytical approaches, difficulties in emotion regulation emerged as a central cognitive-emotional process within the examined psychological models associated with links between early maladaptive schemas and maladaptive eating behaviors. These findings underscore the relevance of schema-informed, emotion-focused perspectives for understanding dysregulated eating patterns.