Perfectionism, Type A Behavior, and Self-Efficacy in Depression and Health Symptoms among Adolescents

The current study examined the associations among dimensions of perfectionism, Type A behavior, self-efficacy, distress, and health symptoms in high school students. A sample of 73 high school students (34 boys, 39 girls) completed measures of self-oriented perfectionism, socially prescribed perfect...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Current psychology (New Brunswick, N.J.) N.J.), 2011-06, Vol.30 (2), p.105-116
Main Authors: Flett, Gordon L., Panico, Teresa, Hewitt, Paul L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Behavioral Science and Psychology
High school students
Mental depression
Perfectionism (Personality trait)
Psychological aspects
Psychology
Regression analysis
Secondary school students
Self-efficacy
Self-efficacy (Psychology)
Social Sciences
Teenagers
Type A behavior
University students
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Summary:The current study examined the associations among dimensions of perfectionism, Type A behavior, self-efficacy, distress, and health symptoms in high school students. A sample of 73 high school students (34 boys, 39 girls) completed measures of self-oriented perfectionism, socially prescribed perfectionism, Type A behavior, self-efficacy, depressive symptoms, and psychosomatic symptoms. Correlational analyses found that self-oriented perfectionism was marginally related to Type A behavior. Students with elevated levels of depressive symptoms were also characterized by self-oriented perfectionism, Type A behavior, low self-efficacy, and health symptoms. In addition, health symptoms were linked with low self-efficacy. Simultaneous entry of several variables into a regression analysis found that significant unique predictors of depression were low self-efficacy and elevated self-oriented perfectionism. Similarly, a regression analysis found that low self-efficacy and high self-oriented perfectionism were unique predictors of health symptoms. The findings highlight the distinctions between the perfectionism and the Type A constructs, and support self-regulation models of depression and physical symptoms that include an emphasis on excessive perfectionistic standards and low self-efficacy. We discuss the need for preventive interventions designed for perfectionistic adolescents with low self-efficacy.
ISSN:1046-1310
1936-4733
DOI:10.1007/s12144-011-9103-4