Etherson, Marianne ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0339-2324 (2022) Perfectionism, Depressive Symptoms, and Suicide Ideation: Tests of Social Disconnection and Existential Models. Doctoral thesis, York St John University.

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Abstract

The Perfectionism Social Disconnection Model (PSDM) and the Existential Model of Perfectionism and Depressive Symptoms (EMPDS) are promising models which explain why perfectionism leads to depressive symptoms and suicide ideation. The purpose of the thesis was to extend, integrate, and rigorously test these models. Study one advanced research on
the PSDM by including suicide ideation alongside depressive symptoms as outcomes, and anti-mattering alongside mattering as mediators. Findings were that socially prescribed
perfectionism indirectly predicted depressive symptoms and suicide ideation via mattering (in a community sample) and anti-mattering (across samples). Study two provided a three-wave longitudinal test of this model. Socially prescribed perfectionism indirectly predicted depressive symptoms via anti-mattering (in a university sample). Study three tested an extended EMPDS that included suicide ideation and a new integrated model combining the PSDM and EMPDS, which included markers of social disconnection and existentialism as mediators. In the EMPDS, socially prescribed perfectionism indirectly predicted depressive symptoms and suicide ideation via difficulty accepting the past across samples. In the integrated model, socially prescribed perfectionism indirectly predicted depressive symptoms
and suicide ideation via anti-mattering and difficulty accepting the past across samples. Study four provided the first longitudinal test of these models. In the EMPDS, socially prescribed perfectionism indirectly predicted depressive symptoms and suicide ideation via difficulty
accepting the past (in a community sample). In the integrated model, socially prescribed perfectionism indirectly predicted suicide ideation via anti-mattering (in a university sample), and indirectly predicted depressive symptoms and suicide ideation via difficulty accepting the
past (in a community sample). Collectively, studies indicate that the PSDM and EMPDS partly explain why perfectionism contributes to depressive symptoms and suicide ideation.
Findings suggest that anti-mattering and difficulty accepting the past are important mediators for future research, and that suicide ideation should be included in future tests of the PSDM and EMPDS.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Status:	Unpublished
Subjects:	G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GV Recreation Leisure > GV0557 Sports
School/Department:	School of Science, Technology and Health
URI:	https://ray.yorksj.ac.uk/id/eprint/8003

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