WARNING: SUICIDE
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A pair of professors at York University and the University of British Columbia (UBC) have co-authored the first ever full-scale academic book on perfectionism in children and adolescents. It was published by the American Psychological Association in early March.
Perfectionism in Childhood and Adolescence: A Developmental Approach is a culmination of more than 30 years of research developed by York University psychology professor Gordon L. Flett and UBC psychology professor and registered clinical psychologist Paul Hewitt.
Since the beginning of their partnership in the late 1980s, Flett and Hewitt have taken a unique approach to perfectionism, focusing on the different dimensions and complexities that exist within the broad term. They take an interpersonal approach, suggesting that many people not only demand perfection from themselves but can expect perfection in others as well.
Flett emphasized the difference between striving for excellence and striving for absolute perfection, which he said is often confused in society.
“There’s an irrational importance that’s attached to being perfectionistic. It’s not wanting to or liking to, it’s an internal dictate that you have to be perfect,” he said. “Anybody that thinks [perfectionism] is a really positive thing has not spent a lot of time talking to perfectionists, especially in high pressure situations.”
The book emphasizes the harmful effects of perfectionism on the mental health of young people. It contains chapters on perfectionism’s link to depression and suicide, as well as suggested routes towards treatment and prevention.
“Anybody that thinks [perfectionism] is a really positive thing has not spent a lot of time talking to perfectionists, especially in high pressure situations.”
The book also contains research on the link between perfectionism and physical health. Studies conducted by Danielle Molnar, associate professor in the faculty of child and youth studies at Brock University, are featured in this section.
Looking at blood samples and immune system regulation, Molnar and her team found evidence that perfectionism contributes to dysregulated immune system functioning. The team published their findings in a paper in May 2021, which Flett and Hewitt cite in their book.
“[Perfectionists] bring a lot of stress. They put more stress onto themselves and they prolong the stress for rumination, so it doesn’t surprise me that it may erode immune system functioning over time,” Molnar said.
Martin M. Smith is currently working on obtaining his second PhD in clinical psychology under the supervision of Hewitt at UBC. Working closely with Hewitt, he has been actively researching perfectionism for more than a decade.
Smith said from a clinical perspective, the book takes a person-centred approach that accounts for the complexity of perfectionism and the vast range of tendencies that can be defined as perfectionistic.
“The treatment is tailored to the individual in terms of how it develops rather than having a one-size-fits-all approach. It’s tailored to each person’s unique needs because perfectionism can manifest in drastically different ways,” Smith said.
In the final chapters of the book, Flett and Hewitt outline a call to action for proactive intervention against perfectionism from a clinical and social standpoint.
“Perfectionists will blend in far too well into groups like classrooms and suffer in silence,” Flett said. “We need to put in programs where they don’t feel centered out, where they can learn more adaptive ways of coping and seeking help when needed.”
Following the call to action, the co-authors also address additional research questions on refining treatment and intervention strategies which will be instrumental in the advancement of the field, according to Molnar.
“[The book] offers so many ideas for future research that are right there. I find that incredibly generous because it allows the next generation of researchers to get in and easily find the questions that still need to be answered,” Molnar said.
Smith said the co-authors’ dedication to proactively treating and preventing perfectionism is what has made them so successful in pioneering the field.
“Besides being brilliant researchers, they are also fantastic human beings,” he said. “They have a clear passion for helping others rather than just doing research for the sake of research.”
Hewitt and Flett have an upcoming contract with the American Psychological Association to write a follow-up book on perfectionism geared towards the general public, scheduled to be published in 2023.
Flett said the book will present accessible treatment and prevention plans for teachers and parents of perfectionistic children.
“We’re at that stage in life where it makes more sense to be focusing on things that will translate into something positive for many people out there,” Flett said.
Featured images provided by Gordon L. Flett and UBC Psychology.
