CAMHblog

Thank you for sharing your research. 

As a parent, grad student and educator I've seen firsthand the effects of perfectionism as well as the need to "overachieve" in children and teens as young as 8 or 9.   The need to excel and be "perfect" is being thrust on them by society (peers, parents, schools and the workplace) and reinforced in the media well before our kids graduate from high school.   
They feel pressured to achieve advanced education (graduate degrees in some cases) in order to gain access to ever scare entry-level jobs.  We lead them to believe that academic achievement equates to financial success, serving as a benchmark for future success and happiness. 
Prevention efforts need to start well before University - maybe as early as elementary school.  As a society we need to help redefine success, to help reduce some of the pressure to be perfect.  Why not help kids to recognize their unique talents, foster their special interests and reward them for pursuing their passions?  What about exposing them to role models who aren’t perfectionists and overachievers themselves?

My cousin got pressure from family and recently complained a lot to me. Perfectionism is not treated as problem in some Asian countries. Web based therapy might be able to help them.

It is unfortunate that the perfectionism that has led to suicide among school-age children in Japan is manifesting in our children as mood disorders. It is crucial for parents to be aware of this and to adopt a few practices that I think can be key in encouraging youth to do their best but also to embrace the making of mistakes.

1) Parents should openly discuss times when they themselves have erred. What happened, how did it turn out, how did you feel about it and how did that change over time? Did you learn something important from it? Did you realize that maybe you could have done better had you reached out for help? Kids need to know that mistakes happen and how self-compassion works!

2) Sara  Dimerman (helpmesara.com) has introduced me to the idea of the Family Meeting, in which even young children can participate, if only to see how their parents discuss character values: integrity and honesty, for example. The safety of a family discussion about episodes in the context of the values helps us talk about mistakes and how we can strive for perfection but everyone is, ultimately, imperfect.

I see perfectionism as a double edge sword.   Some of our highest achievers in any field are driven by perfectionism.   Not settling for "good enough" may very well be a prerequisite for excellence. 
      That said, perfectionism is often a recipe for unhappiness.  In the case of career plans and job search it can lead to paralysis.   My own experience and my professional study tells me that when it comes to careers we have raised the stakes for young people so that they think it's all or nothing, that there's no room for mistakes.  That's counterproductive and simply wrong.  On the job experience adds up, and can be transferred whether or not the job is perfect.   I always advise young people to jump right in.   Don't hold out for the perfect job...unless of course, you are one of the rare ones courting multiple offers. 

Dr. Radhu, the article's author, provides suggestions for screening for and treating perfectionism in students. 

Janice, a parent and teacher, mentions external factors such as stigma against training in skilled trades and parents who “frighten” their children.

If overly competitive parents are one source of the problem, how practically are such parents to be ‘treated”?

It is with great pleasure to read all of the positive feedback regarding this study. Many thanks for the support and input.

Researchers now view perfectionism as a concept that has many dimensions, and is not solely due to parental pressure. This theory has lead to significant advancement in the field and the way it affects states of well-being and distress.

This multidimensional approach takes into account both intrapersonal and interpersonal aspects associated with perfectionism. For example, in a study published in Cognitive Therapy and Research, Frost et al. (1990) developed a six factor assessment measure evaluating two primary dimensions of perfectionism: 1) individuals' perfectionism directed towards themselves 2) individuals' perceptions of parental demands directed towards themselves.

The highly competitive nature of our society and external pressures can both create an environment which welcomes perfectionism with open arms.

Screening (using the PCI) and treating perfectionism at earlier ages in high school may be effective for students. Specific targeted treatment which aims to identify and modify maladaptive perfectionism-related thinking and behaviours via cognitive restructuring, behavioural techniques and stress management activities are ideal.

At CAMH, we have also evaluated the effectiveness of a web-based CBT using a non-invasive approach, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), which objectively measures cortical inhibition. Please see: Radhu et al. Cognitive behavioral therapy-related increases in cortical inhibition in problematic perfectionists. Brain Stimulation. 2012 Jan;5(1):44-54, for more details.

My sister is currently doing her masters and can completely relate to this article. Not only does she have pressure to compete with other students, she also puts pressure on herself to continue to do well in school. With so much competition, it's hard to stand out so you must push harder.
This a great study and a topic that needs to be discussed.

From a students perspective, I agree completely. Perfectionism is growing in todays youth and seems to start at young ages even! Great study!

As a parent and a teacher, I have often observed 2 kinds of students who are perfectionists. Those who often have a long school history demonstrating this trait, and though very capable,they have difficulty handing work in on time, or even completing work. The other group of perfectionists are those who are frightened by  their parents, and by perceived limited future prospects- they want to get top grades-despite a limited ability to do so. Sometimes hard work is not enough to do well. Not everyone is able to do well in post secondary, despite their best efforts. I believe that because in Canada we have diminished the status of the trades, we have many students who, because of status, attend university, but  might be much happier, and better paid in the skilled trades. We need to change society's view and raise the status of the skilled trades.

Perfectionism is the common cold of academia: For some, an annoyance that hinders daily functioning; for others, a risk factor that—if left untreated—can transform into a much more serious illness.

Primary and secondary prevention efforts, such as those outlined in Radhu et al. (2013), are therefore of critical important to perfectionists and their problems.

I congratulate Radhu, Daskalakis, Arpin-Cribbie, Irvine, and Ritvo on their research. I hope they continue this important line of inquiry.

In addition to undergraduates, there are certainly many graduate students and faculty who would benefit from such prevention efforts.

Sincerely,

Simon B. Sherry, Ph.D., Registered Psychologist
Associate Professor
Department of Psychology, Dalhousie University
Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University (cross appointment)
Life Sciences Centre, 1355 Oxford Street,
PO BOX 15000,
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, B3H 4R2
EMAIL: Simon.Sherry@dal.ca
WEB: www.personality.psychology.dal.ca
PHONE: 902-494-8070
FAX: 902-494-6585