A newly published meta-analysis examines the associations between perfectionism and symptoms of anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and depression in young people aged 6-24 years. The findings indicate that perfectionism is linked to mental health disorders like anxiety, OCD, and depression, and this link was strongest for those receiving professional treatment for these conditions. The study was published in Cognitive Behavior Therapy.
Perfectionism is a personality trait characterized by high standards, self-criticism, and a tendency to strive for flawlessness. While perfectionism can be adaptive in some contexts, it has been linked to various negative outcomes, including anxiety, depression, and OCD. Previous research has suggested that perfectionism may be particularly problematic in young people, as they are still developing their sense of self and may be more vulnerable to the adverse effects of perfectionistic tendencies.
For their study, Jessica Lunn and colleagues conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies examining the associations between perfectionism and symptoms of anxiety, OCD, and depression in young people aged 6-24 years. They searched multiple databases for relevant studies published between 1980 and 2020 and identified 32 studies that met their inclusion criteria. The studies included a total of 10,773 participants.
They found that both aspects of perfectionism, called “perfectionistic strivings” and “perfectionistic concerns,” were linked to mental health problems in young people. Perfectionistic concerns (when people worry too much about being perfect) were more strongly associated with symptoms of anxiety, OCD, and depression compared to perfectionistic strivings (the desire to achieve high standards). The associations were consistent across age groups, genders, and countries of residence.
These findings are consistent with previous research on the negative effects of perfectionism in adults and suggest that perfectionism may be a risk factor for developing psychopathology in young people.
The research team notes that the associations between perfectionism and psychopathology were stronger in clinical samples than in non-clinical samples. This suggests that perfectionism may be particularly problematic in individuals who are already experiencing symptoms of anxiety, OCD, or depression.
There were several acknowledged limitations to the study. First, most of the studies included in the meta-analysis were cross-sectional, which limits the ability to draw causal conclusions about the relationship between perfectionism and psychopathology. Second, due to a lack of data, the authors were unable to examine other factors that may explain the associations between perfectionism and psychopathology, such as ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and cultural factors. Finally, the authors note that the quality of the studies in the meta-analysis varied widely, with most studies rated as fair. This suggests that methodological limitations may influence the findings in individual studies.
This study provides a comprehensive overview of the associations between perfectionism and symptoms of anxiety, OCD, and depression in young people. The results suggest that perfectionism is a risk factor for developing psychopathology in young people and that interventions aimed at reducing perfectionistic concerns and promoting adaptive perfectionistic strivings may be beneficial in preventing or treating symptoms of anxiety, OCD, and depression.
The study, “Associations between perfectionism and symptoms of anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder and depression in young people: a meta-analysis,” was authored by Jessica Lunn, Danyelle Greene, Thomas Callaghan, and Sarah J. Egan.
