The Canadian French Young Schema Questionnaire: Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Validation in Clinical and Nonclinical Samples

This study aims to validate the French-Canadian adaptation of the third version of the Young Schema Questionnaire (YSQ-S3; Young, 2005) and provide expected scores for nonclinical and Axis I patient samples. The Young Schema Questionnaire assesses early maladaptive schemas (EMSs) and schema domains. The latest version of the questionnaire, the YSQ-S3, has received little attention, and its Canadian French adaptation has yet to be validated. In this study, a sample of 973 nonclinical participants completed the YSQ-S3, as well as assessments of their self-reported clinical or nonclinical status. A mixed Axis I patient group of 96 participants also completed the YSQ-S3 and additional clinical measures. Confirmatory factor analysis supports the EMSs but fails to support the schema domains. Expected scores for Axis I patients and confirmed nonclinical respondents are presented. As a whole, the French-Canadian version of the YSQ-S3 is a solid tool for the self-report measurement of EMSs. However, caution should be used in using and interpreting domain scores.