Validation of the Young Schema Questionnaire (YSQ-S3) in Mexican University Students

The Young Schema Questionnaire (YSQ) assesses Early Maladaptive Schemas (EMS) in Schema Therapy, and it has demonstrated adequate psychometric characteristics. However, there is a lack of consistent factorial structures in the available research on the psychometric properties of YSQ versions. This cross-sectional study aimed to adapt, validate, and evaluate the psychometric properties of the short version of the YSQ in Mexican university students. A non-probabilistic sample of 772 Mexican university students from different states of was used. The mean age of the sample was 21.33 years, most (67%) were female, students of psychology (683.7%), and living in México City (49.6%). A series of exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis were made to compare the proposed instrument with the one proposed by the Schema Therapy. The instrument exhibited a structure of 17 out of the 18 original schemes (except the Unrelenting Standards schema), organized in the same 5 dimensions proposed in the Schema Therapy, with a total internal consistency level of 0.962, and a good Confirmatory Factor Analysis fit indexes (e.g., RMSEA=.08). The YSQ-S3-MX version is proposed as a suitable tool for evaluating EMS in Mexican university students, ensuring proper use in clinical practice and research.