This information handout provides insights into the pessimism schema, which is characterized by negativity - people with this schema assume things are bound to go wrong and that when they do, the worst will happen.
Offers theory, guidance, and prompts for mental health professionals. Downloads are in Fillable PDF format where appropriate.
Includes client-friendly guidance. Downloads are in Fillable PDF format where appropriate.
Schema therapy posits that psychological difficulties stem from early maladaptive schemas (EMS) and clients’ characteristic responses to them, referred to as ‘coping styles’. People with a pessimism schema are preoccupied with the negative aspects of their lives, such as loss, strife, and conflict, resulting in chronic anxiety and hopelessness. They believe the worst is likely to happen and place undue attention on potential pitfalls, fueling the perception that problems are ever-present. Concurrently, they tend to overlook, minimize, or discount positive experiences.
This Pessimism information handout forms part of the Psychology Tools Schema series. It is designed to help clients and therapists to work more effectively with common early maladaptive schemas (EMS).
This engaging information handout helps clients:
Persistent negativity feelings of hopelessness.
Constantly anticipating disaster and focusing on worst-case scenarios.
Constant negativity and excessive complaining that strains relationships.
Discuss the concept of early maladaptive schemas.
Explore whether the client relates to the pessimism schema.
Help clients notice when this schema is active.
Address the schema using schema-focused techniques, such as imagery rescripting and chairwork.
Schema therapy is an integrative approach initially developed to treat complex, long-standing, and widespread psychological difficulties. It combines elements from cognitive-behavioral therapy, attachment theory, Gestalt therapy, object relations theory, psychoanalysis, and neurobiology within a unified conceptual framework (Young, 1990, 1999; Young et al., 2003).
Early maladaptive schemas (EMS) are defined as negative and pervasive patterns concerning oneself and one’s relationships with others, which are dysfunctional and self-defeating. Structurally, EMS are believed to consist of thoughts, memories, emotions, bodily sensations, and the meanings attributed to them (Van Genderen et al., 2012). Interactions among a child's temperament, parenting, sociocultural context, and significant life experiences (such as traumatic events) can lead to unmet emotional needs, which serve as the foundation for EMS.
While the pessimism EMS is primarily anticipatory (e.g., the individual feels hopeless or fearful about future events), Leahy (2002) notes that pessimism can also be reflective or past-orientated: the individual tends to focus on past losses, mistakes, or threats, resulting in rumination, regret, and self-criticism.
Pessimism is one of the most pervasive EMS. A recent systematic review and meta-analysis suggest that pessimism is prevalent across emotional disorders, possibly due to its transdiagnostic elements, such as worry, rumination, and concern over mistakes (Thimm & Change, 2022).
