Paweł Holas
Cognitive-Behavior (CBT) therapist and supervisor, mindfulness teacher (MBCT/MBSR/MSC), a specialist in psychiatry. Associate Professor and the head of the division of Clinical Neuropsychology & Psychotherapy at the Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw. The head of the e-MPAT Lab (e-Mindfulness, Psychotherapy and Technology Lab). The director of postgraduate studies: Mindfulness and Compassion. Fundaments, Research, and Psychotherapy at University SWPS in Warsaw.
My primary focus of research lies in investigating mechanisms underlying emotional disorders and on understanding processes that contribute to the flourishing of people, with a emphasis on how to transfer this knowledge into effective treatment and personal development methods, with particular focus on mindfulness. Research interests extend from cognitive biases underlying emotional disorders, behavioral addictions, psycho-emotional aspects of chronic medical conditions to mindfulness and compassion, and intervention based on them for emotional disorders and climate change related conditions.
The mediation role of self-compassion in the link between early maladaptive schemas and perseverative thinking in depression
In prior research, it was established that the severity of depressive symptoms is positively correlated with early maladaptive schemas (EMSs) and inversely associated with self-compassion and trait mindfulness in the general population. Additionally, perseverative thinking, manifested as rumination and worrying, has been identified as a transdiagnostic risk factor related to depression. However, there is a limited understanding of the connection between EMSs and perseverative thinking in major depression and the mediating mechanisms of their interaction.
Therefore, the objective of our current study was to investigate the intricate relationship between EMSs, self-compassion, mindfulness, and perseverative thinking in major depression. To achieve this, we administered questionnaires assessing these variables to 60 depressed women (MDD), diagnosed based on the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview, and to 36 healthy women as control subjects (SC). Moderated mediation analysis, considering group membership (HC or MDD), was performed using Hayes’ Process macro (2018) in model no. 59.
The findings revealed significant positive associations between EMSs and perseverative thinking, and negative associations with trait mindfulness and self-compassion. Importantly, self-compassion, in contrast to mindfulness, which was found to be insignificant, was identified as a full mediator in the relationship between EMSs and perseverative thinking. These results underscore the importance of incorporating techniques that enhance self-compassion skills in depressed individuals with increased early maladaptive schemas