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Difficulties in emotional regulation, early maladaptive schemas, and emotional dependence on sexual addiction or compulsive sexual behaviour in adolescence

Abstract:

The objective of this research is to study the relationships between addiction to sex, difficulties in its emotional regulation (DER), early maladaptive schemas (EMS) and emotional dependence (ED). A non-experimental design study is carried out with cross-sectional correlation in a sample of 1,519 adolescents at school, 54% boys (n = 820) and 46% girls (n = 699), aged between 14 and 18 years (M = 15.77, SD = 1.22). The evaluation instruments employed were MULTICAGE CAD 4 (Pedrero Pérez et al., 2007), Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale -DERS (Gratz and Romer, 2004; Spanish adaptation by Gómez-Simón, Peneda and de la Osa, 2014), Schema Questionnaire Short Form -SQ-SF (Young and Brown, 1994; Spanish adaptation by Cid and Torrubia, 2002) and the Scale of emotional dependence in the courtship of the young and adolescents -DEN (Urbiola, Estévez and Iraurgi, 2014). The results reveal the significant relationships between DER, EMS and ED. Differences between men and women have been found. The results of this study provide evidence of the relationships between difficulties in emotional regulation, early maladaptive schemas, emotional dependence and non-existent, possible, highly probable or safe sex addiction. The implications of these results are discussed and challenges arise for further research.