Assessing Self-Critical Perfectionism in Clinical Depression

Abstract

Several facets of perfectionism have been strongly associated with depression and anxiety. Dunkley and Blankstein (2000) Dunkley, D. M. and Blankstein, K. R. 2000. Self-critical perfectionism, coping, hassles, and current distress: A structural equation modeling approach. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 24: 713–730. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] [Google Scholar] combined these maladaptive traits with self-criticism to create a general construct labeled self-critical perfectionism. In this study, we employed confirmatory factor analysis to evaluate a model for assessing self-critical perfectionism in a clinically depressed sample using scales from 3 instruments. Participants were 356 depressed adult outpatients who completed 2 multidimensional measures of perfectionism and a measure of self-criticism. A confirmatory factor model that separated a self-critical perfectionism construct from a more adaptive, achievement-striving component of perfectionism was supported. A composite scale assessing self-critical perfectionism demonstrated much larger correlations with distress measures compared to a composite scale assessing achievement striving and also showed evidence of discriminant validity. In this study, we provided further support for the valid assessment of self-critical perfectionism and extended evidence for its assessment to a clinically depressed sample.