Supplementary Material for: Early maladaptive schemas, psychopathological symptoms, and behavioral addictions in adolescent population

Introduction. Early maladaptive schemas (EMS) have been identified as key cognitive factors in the development of addictive behaviors, yet their specific relationship with adolescent gambling and gaming remains unclear. The study aimed to: 1) explore the relationship between Young’s EMS, psychopathological symptoms, gambling and gaming behavior; and 2) examine the mediating role of psychopathological symptoms in the relationship between EMS and both gambling and gaming. Methods. The sample comprised 1,189 secondary school students (Mage=15.64; SD=1.08; 52.5%girls). EMS, psychopathological symptoms, gambling, and gaming were assessed using the Young Schemas Questionnaire (YSQ), Symptoms Assessment Questionnaire (SA-45), South Oaks Gambling Screen for Adolescents (SOGS-RA) and Video Game-Related Experiences Questionnaire (CERV), respectively. Results. Most EMS were associated with both problematic gaming (rs between .068 and .233) and gambling severity (rs between .061 and .120) and showed strong associations with psychopathological symptoms (rs between .212 and .635). After controlling for gender and age, psychopathological symptoms significantly mediated the associations between all EMS domains and both behavioral outcomes (p ≤ .002). A pattern of full mediation was observed for gambling severity, whereas partial mediation was found for problematic gaming. Conclusion. The findings suggest that addressing EMS and psychopathological symptoms may be a key component in prevention and intervention strategies for adolescent problematic gaming and gambling. Overall, this research highlights that addressing both early cognitive vulnerabilities and concurrent psychopathological symptoms is essential to mitigate the impact of behavioral addictions in youth.