The Relationship Between Perfectionism and Psychopathology: A Meta‐Analysis
2016/12/27 by Karina Limburg, Hunna J. Watson, Martin S. Hagger +1 · 583 citations
Medicine · Psychology · #Anxiety #Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes #Clinical psychology #Distress #Human factors and ergonomics #Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum #Medicine #Meta-analysis #Perfectionism (psychology) #Perfectionism, Procrastination, Anxiety Studies #Poison control #Psychiatry #Psychology #Psychopathology #Suicidal ideation
paper · doi:10.1002/jclp.22435
published in Journal of Clinical Psychology 73(10), 1301-1326 (Wiley)
openalex publication_date 2016/12/27 · openalex created_date 2017/01/06 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The clinical significance of 2 main dimensions of perfectionism (perfectionistic strivings and perfectionistic concerns) was examined via a meta-analysis of studies investigating perfectionism in the psychopathology literature. METHOD: We investigated relationships between psychopathology outcomes (clinical diagnoses of depression, anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and eating disorders; symptoms of these disorders; and outcomes related to psychopathology, such as deliberate self-harm, suicidal ideation, and general distress) and each perfectionism dimension. The relationships were examined by evaluating (a) differences in the magnitude of association of the 2 perfectionism dimensions with psychopathology outcomes and (b) subscales of 2 common measures of perfectionism. RESULTS: A systematic literature search retrieved 284 relevant studies, resulting in 2,047 effect sizes that were analysed with meta-analysis and meta-regression while accounting for data dependencies. CONCLUSION: Findings support the notion of perfectionism as a transdiagnostic factor by demonstrating that both dimensions are associated with various forms of psychopathology.
Citations
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