Skip to main content
Log in

Perfectionism and Suicide Ideation in Adolescent Psychiatric Patients

  • Published:
Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study was conducted to examine the relations between dimensions of perfectionism and suicide ideation in an adolescent psychiatric sample. A sample of 66 adolescents from an inpatient psychiatric facility completed the Child and Adolescent Perfectionism Scale, the Child's Hopelessness Scale, and the Suicide Ideation Questionnaire. Overall, the results indicated that socially prescribed perfectionism was associated with greater suicide ideation and that it, along with hopelessness, accounted for unique variance in suicide ideation scores. The findings are discussed in terms of their practical and theoretical significance as well as their consistency with similar research with adults.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

REFERENCES

  • Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Administration. (1989). Report of the secretary's task force on youth suicide (DHHS Publication No. ADM 89-1621). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.

    Google Scholar 

  • American Psychiatric Association. (1987). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (3rd ed., rev.). Washington, DC: Author.

    Google Scholar 

  • Asarnow, J., Carlson, G. A., & Guthrie, D. (1987). Coping strategies, self-perceptions, hopelessness, and perceived family environments in depressed and suicidal children. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 55, 361–366.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baumeister, R. (1990). Suicide as escape from self. Psychological Review, 97, 90–113.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beck, A. T., Steer, R. A., Kovacs, M., & Garrison, B. (1985). Hopelessness and eventual suicide: A 10-year prospective study of patients hospitalized with suicidal ideation. American Journal of Psychiatry, 142, 559–563.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bedrosian, R. C., & Beck, A. T. (1979). Cognitive aspects of suicidal behavior. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 9, 87–96.

    Google Scholar 

  • Berman, A. L., & Jobes, D. A. (1991). Adolescent suicide: Assessment and intervention. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Berndt, T. J. (1979). Development changes in conformity to peers and parents. Developmental Psychology, 15, 608–616.

    Google Scholar 

  • Blatt, S. (1995). The destructiveness of perfectionism: Implications for the treatment of depression. American Psychologist, 50, 1003–1020.

    Google Scholar 

  • Blatt, S. & Zuroff, D. (1992). Interpersonal relatedness and self-definition: Two prototypes for depression. Clinical Psychology Review, 12, 527–562.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brent, D. A. (1987). Correlates of medical lethality of suicide attempts in children and adolescents. Journal of the American Academy of Child Psychiatry, 26, 87–89.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brent, D. A., Perper, J. A., & Goldstein, C. E., et al. (1988). Risk factors for adolescent suicide. Archives of General Psychiatry, 45, 581–588.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cole, D. A. (1989). Psychopathology of adolescent suicide: Hopelessness, coping beliefs, and depression. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 98, 248–255.

    Google Scholar 

  • Delisle, J. R. (1990). The gifted adolescent at risk: Strategies and resources for suicide prevention among gifted youth. Journal of Education of the Gifted, 13, 212–228.

    Google Scholar 

  • Flett, G. L., & Hewitt, P. L. (1997). Social hopelessness and adjustment. Unpublished manuscript.

  • Flett, G. L., Hewitt, P. L., Blankstein, K. R., & Koledin, S. (1991). Dimensions of perfectionism and irrational thinking. Journal of Rational-Emotive and Cognitive-Behavior Therapy, 9, 185–201.

    Google Scholar 

  • Flett, G. L., Hewitt, P. L., Boucher, D. J., Davidson, L. A., & Munro, Y. (1997). The Child-Adolescent Perfectionism Scale: Development, validation, and association with adjustment. Unpublished manuscript.

  • Frost, R., Marten, P., Lahart, C., & Rosenblate, R. (1990). The dimensions of perfectionism. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 14, 449–468.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldsmith, S. J., Fyer, M., & Frances, A. (1990). Personality and suicide. In S. J. Blumenthal & D. J. Kupfer (Eds.), Suicide over the life cycle (pp. 155–176). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harter, S., Marold, D. B., & Whitesell, N. R. (1992). Model of psychosocial risk factors leading to suicidal ideation in young adolescents. Developmental Psychopathology, 4, 167–188.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hayes, R. L., & Sloat, R. S. (1989). Gifted students at risk for suicide. Roeper Review, 12, 102–107.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hewitt, P. L., & Flett, G. L. (1989). The Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale: Development and validation. Canadian Psychology, 30, 339. (Abstract)

    Google Scholar 

  • Hewitt, P. L., & Flett, G. L. (1990). Dimensions of perfectionism and depression: A multidimensional analysis. Journal of Social Behavior and Personality, 5, 423–438.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hewitt, P. L., & Flett, G. L. (1991a). Dimensions of perfectionism in unipolar depression. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 100, 98–101.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hewitt, P. L., & Flett, G. L. (1991b). Perfectionism in the self and social contexts: Conceptualization, assessment, and association with psychopathology. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 60, 456–470.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hewitt, P. L., & Flett, G. L. (1993a). Dimensions of perfectionism, daily stress, and depression: A test of the specific vulnerability hypothesis. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 102, 58–65.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hewitt, P. L., & Flett, G. L. (1993b). Perfectionism and goal orientation in impulsive and suicidal behavior. In W. G. McCown, J. L. Johnson & M. S. Shure (Eds.), The impulsive client (pp. 247–264). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hewitt, P. L., Flett, G. L., & Ediger, E. (1996). Perfectionism and depression: Longitudinal assessment of a specific vulnerability hypothesis. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 105, 276–280.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hewitt, P. L., Flett, G. L., Fehr, B., Habke, M., & Fairlie, P. (1996). Self-presentation and maladjustment: Presenting the perfect self. Unpublished manuscript.

  • Hewitt, P. L., Flett, G. L., & Turnbull, W. (1994). Borderline personality disorder: An investigation with the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 10, 28–33.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hewitt, P. L., Flett, G. L., & Turnbull-Donovan, W. (1992). Perfectionism and suicide potential. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 31, 181–190.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hewitt, P. L., Flett, G. L., & Weber, C. (1994). Perfectionism and suicide ideation. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 18, 461–478.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hewitt, P. L., Mittelstaedt, W., & Wollert, R. (1989). Validation of a measure of perfectionism. Journal of Personality Assessment, 53, 133–144.

    Google Scholar 

  • Holinger P., & Offer, D. (1981). Perspectives of suicide in adolescence. In R. Simmons (Ed.), Research in community and mental health (Vol. 2, pp. 139–157). Greenwich, CT: JAI Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kazdin, A., French, N., Unis, A., & Esveldt-Dawson, K. (1983). Hopelessness, depression, and suicidal intent among psychiatrically disturbed in-patient children. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 51, 501–510.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kazdin, A., Rodgers, A., Colbus, D. (1986). The Hopelessness Scale for Children: Psychometric characteristics and concurrent validity. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 54, 241–245.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mack, J. (1986). Adolescent suicide: An architectural model. In G. Klerman (Ed), Suicide and depression among adolescents and young adults (pp. 53–76). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Maltsberger, J. T., (1986). Suicide risk. New York: New York Universities Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marks, P. A., & Haller, D. L. (1977). Now I lay me down for keeps: A study of adolescent suicide attempts. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 47, 390–399.

    Google Scholar 

  • National Center for Health Statistics. (1968–1991). Vital statistics of the United States: Vol 2. Mortality—Part A [For the years 1966–1988]. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ranieri, W. F., Steer, R. A., Lavrence, T. I., Rissmiller, D. J., Piper, G. E., & Beck, A. T. (1987). Relationships of depression, hopelessness, and dysfunctional attitudes to suicide ideation in psychiatric patients. Psychological Reports, 61, 967–975.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reynolds, W.M. (1988). SIQ: Suicide Ideation Questionnaire. Odessa: PAR.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rubinstein, J. L., Heeren, T., Housman, D., Rubin, C., & Stechler, G. (1989). Suicidal behavior in “normal” adolescents: Risk and protective factors. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 59, 59–71.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shaffer, D. (1974). Suicide in childhood and early adolescence. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 15, 275–291.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shaffer, D., Garland, A., Gould, M., Fisher, P., & Trautman, P. (1988). Preventing teenage suicide: A critical review. Journal of the American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry, 27, 657–687.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shaw, K. R., Sheehan, K. H., & Fernandez, R. C. (1987). Suicide in children and adolescents. Advances in Pediatrics, 34, 314–334.

    Google Scholar 

  • Steer, R. A., Kumar, G., & Beck, A. T. (1993). Self-reported suicidal ideation in adolescent psychiatric inpatients. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 61, 1096–1099.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stephens, B.(1987). Cheap thrills and humble pie: The adolescence of female suicide attempters. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 17, 107–118.

    Google Scholar 

  • Woods, P. J., & Muller, G. E. (1988). The contemplation of suicide: Its relationship to irrational beliefs in a client sample and the implications for long range suicide prevention. Journal of Rational-Emotive and Cognitive-Behavior Therapy, 6, 236–258.

    Google Scholar 

  • Woznica, J. G., & Shapiro, J. (1990). An analysis of adolescent suicide attempts: The expendable child. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 15, 789–796.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hewitt, P.L., Newton, J., Flett, G.L. et al. Perfectionism and Suicide Ideation in Adolescent Psychiatric Patients. J Abnorm Child Psychol 25, 95–101 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1025723327188

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1025723327188

Navigation