Perfectionism has both adaptive and maladaptative aspects. The purpose of this study was to investigate the mediating effects of stress and repetitive thought between evaluative concerns perfectionism as the maladaptive demensions of perfectionism and...
Perfectionism has both adaptive and maladaptative aspects. The purpose of this study was to investigate the mediating effects of stress and repetitive thought between evaluative concerns perfectionism as the maladaptive demensions of perfectionism and anxiety and depression. In addition, the effects of cognitive behavioral group therapy which focused on stress and repetitive thought(e.g., worry and rumination) was investigated.
In Study 1, the model that evaluative concerns perfectionism influence on anxiety and depression through the mediation of stress and repetitive thought was tested. In Study 1.1, five hundred twenty five undergraduate students completed the following questionnaires: the Multidemensional Perfectionism Scale, the Almost Perfect Scale-Revised, the Revised Life Stress Scale for College Students, the Daily Hassles Scale, the Penn State Worry Questionnaire, the Worry Domains Questionnaire, the Impact of Event Scale, the Ruminative Response Scale, the Beck Anxiety Inventory, and the Beck Depression Inventory. The results of structural equation analysis showed that stress and repetitive thought mediate the relation between evaluative concerns perfectionism and anxiety and depression. The fitness of proposed model was appropriate. In other words, theparticipants with higher levels of evaluative concerns perfectionismexperienced higher levels of stress and repetitive thought, consequently, anxiety and depression were induced. Study 1.2 could examined whether the mediation model of Study 1.1 might be cross-validated with short-term longitudinal data from 207 undergraduate students. The model of Study 1.1 was replicated.
In Study 2, the effects of cognitive behavioral group therapy which focused on stress and repetitive thought was investigated for undergraduate students with high levels of evaluative concerns perfectionism. Half of the thirty two undergraduate students who reported high levels of evaluative concerns perfectionism were assigned to the group of cognitive behavioral therapy and the other half assigned to the waiting control group. Eight sessions of cognitive behavioral therapy were administered. The number of undergraduate students who completed the assessment at termination were 12 incognitive behavioral therapy and 16 in the waiting control group. The results of the study were as follows: First, life stress and daily stress levels of the cognitive behavioral therapy group were significantly lower than those of the waiting control group. Second, worry and rumination scores for the cognitive behavioral therapy group were significantly lower than those of the waiting control group. Third, anxiety and depression levels of the cognitive behavioral therapy group were significantly lower than those of the waiting control group.
On the basis of these results, it was confirmed that evaluative concerns perfectionism's influence on anxiety and depression through the mediation of stress and repetitive thought. In addition, cognitive behavioral group therapy which focused on stress and repetitive thought is effective in the intervention of anxiety and depression for undergraduate students with evaluative concerns perfectionism. The significance and limitations of this study as well as suggestions for future research were discussed.