Self-compassion moderates the perfectionism and depression link in both adolescence and adulthood

Abstract

BackgroundPsychological practitioners often seek to directly change the form or frequency of clients’ maladaptive perfectionist thoughts, because such thoughts predict future depression. Indirect strategies, such as self-compassion interventions, that seek to change clients’ relationships to difficult thoughts, rather than trying to change the thoughts directly could be just as effective. This study aimed to investigate whether self-compassion moderated, or weakened, the relationship between high perfectionism and high depression symptoms in both adolescence and adulthood.MethodsThe present study utilised anonymous self-report questionnaires to assess maladaptive perfectionism, depression, and self-compassion across two samples covering much of the lifespan. Questionnaires were administered in a high school setting for the adolescent sample (Study 1, Mage = 14.1 years, n = 541), and advertised through university and widely online to attract a convenience sample of adults (Study 2, Mage = 25.22 years, n = 515).ResultsModeration analyses revealed that self-compassion reduced the strength of relationship between maladaptive perfectionism and depression in our adolescent Study 1 (β = -.15, p < .001, R2 = .021.) and our adult study 2 (β = -.14, p < .001, R2 = .020).LimitationsCross-sectional self-reported data restricts the application of causal conclusions and also relies on accurate self-awareness and willingness to respond to questionnaire openly.ConclusionsThe replication of this finding in two samples and across different age-appropriate measures suggests that self-compassion does moderate the link between perfectionism and depression. Self-compassion interventions may be a useful way to undermine the effects of maladaptive perfectionism, but future experimental or intervention research is needed to fully assess this important possibility.

Buffering against maladaptive perfectionism in bipolar disorder: The role of self-compassion

“…Empirical data from non-clinical populations is supportive of this idea. Self-compassion partially mediated the association between perfectionism and depression in university students (Mehr and Adams, 2016); while in another study (Ferrari et al, 2018), moderation analyses revealed that self-compassion was associated with diminished strength of the relationship between maladaptive perfectionism and depression in two independent samples (adolescents and adults). In a related study, we found that self-compassion mediated the relationship between vulnerability to BD and psychological distress in a non-clinical sample (Yang et al, 2018).…”

Dispositional mindfulness, self‐compassion, and compassion from others as moderators between stress and depression in caregivers of patients with lung cancer

“…In a meta‐analysis and recent studies, higher levels of self‐compassion were associated with lower levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. Self‐compassion significantly moderated the relationship between self‐coldness (ie, self‐judgment, isolation, and overidentification), maladaptive perfectionism, and depressive symptoms . Fear of receiving compassion from others was positively associated with depression, anxiety, and stress .…”

“…Self-compassion significantly moderated the relationship between self-coldness (ie, self-judgment, isolation, and overidentification), maladaptive perfectionism, and depressive symptoms. 26,27 Fear of receiving compassion from others was positively associated with depression, anxiety, and stress. 28 Fear of compassion from others also played the moderator role in enhancing the relationship between self-criticism and depression.…”

The role of psychological inflexibility and self-compassion in acceptance and commitment therapy for clinical perfectionism

“…Furthermore, self-criticism⎯the inverse of self-compassion⎯has been found to mediate the relationship between unhealthy perfectionism and distress (James, Verplanken, & Rimes, 2015), implicating self-criticism as a potential process that maintains poor outcomes in perfectionism. Furthermore, self-compassion has been found to weaken the relationship between maladaptive perfectionism and depression (Ferrari, Yap, Scott, Einstein, & Ciarrochi, 2018), which could indicate its utility as a treatment target in clinical perfectionism.…”