NSSI AND PERFECTIONISM
Madeleine Brocklesby
Supervised by Associate Professor Marc Wilson
Youth Wellbeing Study
Victoria University of Wellington
NON-SUICIDAL SELF INJURY
“Non-suicidal self-injury is the intentional destruction of body
tissue without suicidal intent and for purposes not socially
sanctioned” (p. 1045, Klonsky & Muehlenkamp, 2007)
• International review found that on average 18% of adolescents
reported having engaged in NSSI (Muehlenkamp, Claes, Havertape &
Plener, 2012)
• 49% of Wellington adolescents reported having engaged in NSSI
(Garisch, 2010)
PERFECTIONISM
“the setting of excessively high standards of performance”
(p. 450, Frost, Marten, Lahart & Rosenblate, 1990)
Underlying cognitive vulnerability OR a personal strength
FROST’S MULTIDIMENSIONAL
PERFECTIONISM SCALE (FMPS)
Concerns over
mistakes
Doubts about
actions
Parental
criticism
Negative
perfectionism
Perfectionism
Parental
expectations
Positive
perfectionism
Personal
standards
(Frost et al., 1993)
Organisation
(Frost et al., 1990)
PREVIOUS RESEARCH
Negative
perfectionism
Positive
perfectionism
Negative affect
Positive affect
Depression
Achievement motivation
Eating disorders
Self esteem
Anxiety disorders
However….some differences across sex
have been found
Shame and guilt
SELF-INJURY
(Antony et al., 1998; Bulina, 2014; Dickie, Wilson, McDowall, & Surgenor, 2012; Frost et al., 1990; Hoff &
Muehlenkamp, 2009; Klibert, Langhinrichsen-Rohling, & Saito, 2005; Stoeber, Schneider, Hussain, & Matthews, 2014)
PERFECTIONISM AND NSSI
• Hoff and Muehlenkamp (2009) found university students
engaging in NSSI scored higher on ‘Concern over Mistakes’ and
‘Parental Criticism’, and lower on ‘Organisation’ subscales of
the FMPS
• O’Connor, Rasmussen and Hawton (2010) illustrated that for
adolescents experiencing only low levels of life stress, an
increase in negative perfectionism significantly increased the
probability of engaging in deliberate self-harm.
THE YOUTH WELLBEING STUDY
Aim: to clarify the relationship between NSSI and negative and
positive components of perfectionism in adolescents
15 secondary schools
>900 students
13-15 years old
58.8% male; 41.2% female
Deliberate Self Harm Inventory – 14 specific NSSI behaviours (DSHI; Gratz, 2001)
Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale – 35 items (FMPS; Frost et al., 1990)
HYPOTHESES
• A factor analysis will produce two distinct sub-factors of
perfectionism; positive perfectionism and negative
perfectionism
• Adolescents reporting high negative perfectionism will report
more NSSI, whereas individuals high on positive perfectionism
will report less NSSI
• Sex differences may be found in this relationship
FINDINGS
HYPOTHESIS ONE: 2 factors within perfectionism
• Uncertainty of the applicability of Frost’s six factors in the
current sample
• Two factor, positive/negative structure supported
• Consistent with other studies using the FMPS in adolescent
samples
(e.g. Cox, Enns, & Clara, 2002; Hawton, Saunders, & O’Connor, 2012; Khawaja &
Armstrong, 2005; Thorpe & Nettelbeck, 2014)
SOME GENERAL FINDINGS
Perfectionism
• Positive perfectionism was higher than negative perfectionism in
both males and females
• Females scored higher than males on both negative and positive
perfectionism
NSSI
• 21.1% of the sample had engaged in NSSI, 9.9% had thought about
(but not done) it
• Females (29%) engaged in significantly more NSSI than males (9%)
FINDINGS
HYPOTHESIS TWO: negative perfectionism = risk of NSSI
positive perfectionism =
risk of NSSI
• Negative perfectionism was positively related to NSSI (r = .31,
p<.001)
• There was a weak negative relationship between positive
perfectionism and NSSI (r = -.13, p<.001)
FINDINGS
HYPOTHESIS THREE: Sex differences may be found in the
relationship between NSSI and perfectionism
• Females
• Positive perfectionism and NSSI (r = -.18, p<.001)
• Negative perfectionism and NSSI (r = .34, p<.001)
• Males
• Positive perfectionism and NSSI (r = -.14, p<.01)
• Negative perfectionism and NSSI (r = .11, p=.04)
FINDINGS
0.5
• Sex moderated the
0.3
Female
NSSI
relationship between
negative
perfectionism and
NSSI
0.4
Male
0.2
0.1
0
Low
Medium
Negative Perfectionism
High
IMPLICATIONS FOR RESEARCHERS,
CLINICIANS, PARENTS AND SCHOOL STAFF
• Research should continue to differentiate between positive and
negative perfectionism rather than use an overall perfectionism
score
• Awareness that negative perfectionism could significantly
contribute to a female adolescents risk of engaging in NSSI
• Parents and teachers can limit the development of negatively
perfectionistic beliefs in adolescents by attending to how they
frame their expectations (Damian, Stoeber, Negru, Bǎban, & Băban, 2013)
• Interventions for NSSI should consider perfectionistic beliefs
FUTURE RESEARCH
• Investigate whether alternative factor structures of the FMPS
provide a better fit for our adolescent sample
• Examine whether there are functions of NSSI that are especially
relevant for individuals high on perfectionism
e.g. self-punishment, gain a sense of control, reduce the expectations of others
Thank you!
REFERENCES
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