J Gen Psychol. 2018 Jan-Mar;145(1):93-105. doi: 10.1080/00221309.2017.1421137. Epub 2018 Jan 18.

Coping Styles Mediate Perfectionism Associations with Depression Among Undergraduate Students.

The Journal of general psychology

Abbas Abdollahi, Simin Hosseinian, Gordon J G Asmundson

PMID: 29345535 DOI: 10.1080/00221309.2017.1421137

Abstract

To better understand depression among adolescent university students, this study was designed to examine coping style as a potential mediator between perfectionism and depression. Participants comprised 510 undergraduate students from Malaysia. Structural Equation Modelling demonstrated that personal standards perfectionism and task-focused coping style were negatively associated with depression, while emotion-focused coping style, avoidant coping style, and evaluative concerns perfectionism were positively associated with depression. Multiple mediator modelling provided evidence that coping styles partially mediated the relationship between perfectionism and depression. These findings advance current knowledge by suggesting how perfectionism may contribute to depression and may inform the development of more effective prevention and intervention programs for depression.

Keywords: Coping styles; depression; perfectionism; students

MeSH terms

• Adaptation, Psychological / physiology
• Depression / psychology
• Emotions
• Female
• Humans
• Male
• Perfectionism*
• Stress, Psychological / psychology
• Students / psychology
• Universities
• Young Adult

Publication Types

• Journal Article