Comparison of Perfectionism Dimensions in Adolescents with Anorexia Nervosa or Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

The aim of the study was to compare two dimensions of perfectionism, namely self-oriented perfectionism (SOP) and socially prescribed perfectionism (SPP), in adolescents with anorexia nervosa (AN) or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and in healthy controls. A further objective was to investigate the influence of perfectionism dimensions on obsessive-compulsive, depressive, and eating symptomatology.

A total of 79 adolescents with AN, 32 with OCD, and 74 healthy controls were recruited. The Child and Adolescent Perfectionism Scale (CAPS) was used to assess SOP and SPP. Measures of depression, obsessive-compulsive and eating symptomatology were administered.

The AN group scored higher on SOP than did both the OCD group (p < 0.001) and controls (p < 0.001). In the AN group, SOP accounted for significant variance in scores on the obsessive (p < 0.001), depressive (p < 0.001), and eating symptomatology (p = 0.001), and the interaction between group and SOP was statistically significant when compared with the controls. Mean SPP total score among controls was similar to that in the AN group and higher than that in the OCD group (p = 0.003). Only in the control group did SPP account for significant variance in scores on the measures of obsessive-compulsive (p = 0.002), depression (p = 0.011), and eating symptomatology (p = 0.006).

Self-oriented perfectionism seemed more specific to AN than to OCD or controls. It predicted obsessive-compulsive, depressive, and eating symptoms in the AN group. In healthy controls, SPP was related to obsessive-compulsive, depressive, and eating symptomatology.