Perfectionism and psychopathology: A review of research and treatment

Clinical experience suggests that Perfectionism can impede the successful treatment of psychological disorders. This review examines the concept of perfection ism, critically evaluates its assessment, reviews the association between existing measures of perfectionism and psychopathology, and considers the impact of perfectionism on treatment. It is concluded that existing,measures do not reflect the original construct of perfectionism and that, consequently, new measures are needed. The evidence reviewed indicates that high personal standards are specifically elevated in patients with eating disorders and beliefs about others' high standards for the self are associated with a broad range of psychopathology. The importance of examining mean scores across studies (as well as associations between variables within studies) is emphasized. There has been no systematic evaluation of the treatment of perfectionism despite existing cognitive-behavioral treatment protocols. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.