Early Adaptive Schemas (EAS) are resilience-oriented counterparts to Early Maladaptive Schemas, which are central in Schema Therapy. The Young Positive Schema Questionnaire (YPSQ) was developed to measure 14 EAS. The higher-order domain structure of negative schemas is frequently used in research and clinical practice but has not yet been empirically investigated for EAS. Objectives of the present study were therefore: (1) Psychometric validation of a German translation of the YPSQ; (2) Replication of EMS domain structure and examination of EAS domain structure via factor analysis; (3) Exploratory description of the EAS network-structure. Participants were 128 psychiatric patients and 256 controls, matched on age and gender, resulting in a mixed sample of N = 384. Regarding psychometric properties, the German YPSQ exhibited satisfying factorial validity, construct and incremental validity, and internal consistency. The examination of the domain structure revealed three domains: Connection & Acceptance, Unimpaired Autonomy & Performance, and Balanced Standards & Adequate Limits. In exploratory network analysis, Optimism was identified as a globally-central schema, while Competence, Emotional Fulfilment, Social Belonging, and Realistic Expectations appeared especially connected within their respective domain. Optimism and Competence were, however, less central in psychiatric patients compared to controls, while Stable Attachment was of increased centrality. Lastly, patients exhibited an overall weaker network connectivity in EAS, suggesting that positive schemas may in general be less readily activated in psychiatric patients compared to controls.