Research progress of schema therapy for adolescents

Adolescence is a vital time in human development, marked by fast physiological and mental changes that render teenagers more vulnerable to psychological suffering. With the growing frequency of mental health concerns among adolescents, the question of how to effectively intervene and help them in dealing with these challenges has emerged as a critical topic in the field of psychotherapy. Schema therapy, originally proposed by Young in the 1990s as an integrative psychotherapy approach, was initially developed for the treatment of chronic psychological disorders, particularly personality disorders. However, as schema therapy has evolved, its scope of application has gradually expanded, and numerous studies and clinical practices have begun to explore its use in adolescent populations. This paper focuses on schema therapy for adolescents, evaluating and summarizing important literature from 2000 to 2025 to inform future research and clinical practice.