Perfectionism in Adolescents: a Longitudinal Study in a Portuguese Sample

Abstract

Perfectionism is a personality traitcharacterized by a person's striving for flawlessness and setting excessivelyhigh performance standards, accompanied by overly critical self-evaluations andconcerns regarding others' evaluations. This trait has been associated with abroad range of psychopathological conditions, starting in adolescence. In this context, prevention of its effects must start early, and the efficacyof reducing perfectionist levels in adolescents must be empirically investigated. Toanalyse, for the first time, if one session to cope with perfectionism has theeffect of reducing the levels of this trait after two and six months later. Method: 868 adolescents (610 girls),aged 15.73±1.571 years, from two secondary schools in Coimbra, Portugal, answered the Portuguese validated version of the Child and AdolescentPerfectionism Scale (CAPS). Two groups were formed: intervention group receivedone skill session oriented to reduce perfectionism (N=615); control group withoutintervention (N=253). Both groupsanswered CAPS again after two/T1 and six/T2 months. No significant differences betweengenders were found in Total CAPS, Self Oriented Perfectionism/SOP and SelfPrescribed Perfectionism/SPP. At T1 significant mean reductions were observedin SOP at the intervention group (T0= 39.58±8.554 vs. T1: 38.44±8.676 t= 3.498,p=.001) but not at the control group (T0= 40.48±8.998 vs. T1: 39.34±7.753 t=1.894, p=.061). No differences significant differences were found in Total CAPSand SPP. At T2, SOP reduction remained in the intervention group (T1=38.44±8.676 vs. T2: 38.67±8.375 t= -.640, p=.020). Adolescents are sensitive to short interventionsaiming to reduce perfectionism.