The Role of Current Depression Symptoms in Perfectionistic Stress Enhancement and Stress Generation

Abstract

Perfectionism is a multidimensional construct that has been associated with more negative appraisals of stress and the generation of stressful life events. However, an understanding of the role of current depression symptoms on the relation of perfectionism dimensions to stress processes is lacking. In a 4-month prospective study with 503 first-year university students, we examined the moderating role of depression symptoms on the relation of two widely studied dimensions of perfectionism (i.e., self-oriented perfectionism, socially-prescribed perfectionism) to both stress enhancement and stress generation. Further, we tested Hewitt and Flett's (1993) specific vulnerability hypothesis, which suggests that particular dimensions of perfectionism should be theoretically matched to particular types of stressors. Self-oriented perfectionism was associated with more negative appraisals of, and the generation of, achievement-related stressors. Further, these relations were specific to participants with elevated ...