Dimensions of Perfectionism and their Relationships with Mental Health and Culture Open Access

Abstract

Perfectionism is consistently associated with mental health symptoms. Recent evidence suggests that different dimensions of perfectionism may have distinct associations with mental health and differ in prevalence across cultures. The current study examined two different dimensions of perfectionism - trait perfectionism (the need to be perfect) and perfectionistic self-presentation (PSP; the need to look perfect) - to determine whether these dimensions have unique associations with mental health symptoms and whether these associations are moderated by culture. Participants were college students (n = 179) who identified as White (n = 50), Black (n = 32), Asian (n = 50), or Latinx (n = 47) and completed self-report measures of perfectionism, depression, anxiety, insomnia, and racial/ethnic background. We found that (1) both dimensions of perfectionism were predictors of depression and anxiety and but not insomnia, (2) scores of both trait perfectionism and subscales of PSP differed across racial/ethnic groups, and (3) culture moderated the relationship between trait perfectionism and somatic depression symptoms and the relationship between PSP and cognitive anxiety symptoms. Perfectionism-targeted interventions should consider tackling both forms of perfectionism and accounting for cultural background to relieve mental health issues most effectively.

Table of Contents

Introduction............................................................... 1

      Definitions and Dimensions of Perfectionism........... 2

      Perfectionism and Mental Illness.............................4

      Culture and Perfectionism...................................... 9

      Perfectionism, Mental Health, and Culture..............11

      The Present Study.................................................12

Methods....................................................................13

      Participants..........................................................13

      Measures..............................................................13

      Procedure.............................................................17

      Data Analysis....................................................... 18

Results......................................................................19

      Perfectionism and Mental Health........................... 19

      Perfectionism and Culture..................................... 21

      Perfectionism, Mental Health, and Culture..............21

Discussion.................................................................22

      Major Findings......................................................22

      Implications......................................................... 23

      Limitations...........................................................27

      Future Directions..................................................28

      Conclusions..........................................................29

References.................................................................30

Tables.......................................................................43

Figures......................................................................57

About this Honors Thesis

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School	Emory College
Department	Psychology
Subfield / Discipline	Clinical Psychology
Degree	B.S.
Submission	Honors Thesis
Language	English
Research Field	Psychology, Social Psychology, Clinical
Keyword	insomnia anxiety ethnicity perfectionism race perfectionistic self-presentation depression
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Hillary Rodman, Emory University Allison LoPilato, Emory University
Committee Members	Andrew Masami Kazama, Emory University Zhiyun Gong, Emory University

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