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This correlational research design investigated the relationship between depression and 2 dimensions of perfectionism: socially prescribed and self-oriented. 173 gifted Filipino adolescents (66 males and 107 females), ages 13 to 17, participated in the study. The results showed that depression scores were significantly related only to socially prescribed perfectionism in both males and females. Implications were discussed.
About ten percent of all the adolescent students in the Philippines are defined as gifted in the sense that they possess rare ability and superior intelligence or talent (Cuartero, 2013). Gifted individuals are aware that that they are gifted, especially so if they have been selected to attend a special school for the academically talented sponsored by the government.
Some of these students become perfectionistic. Perfectionism can be defined as setting standards beyond reach and reason and never being satisfied with anything less than perfection (Hassan, Abd-El-Fattah, AbdEl-Maugoud, & Badary, 2012). According to Christopher & Shewmaker, (2010) and Flett, Hewitt, Boucher, Davidson, & Munro (2000), there are two dimensions of perfectionism: socially prescribed and self-oriented. Socially prescribed perfectionism is the internalized expectation of perfection stemming from "other" people. Self-oriented perfectionism is characterized by setting high perfectionistic standards for one's self. This can compel an individual to higher levels of effort and achievement.
According to Frost and colleagues (1990), perfectionism is linked with negative psychological outcomes. One of the possible negative psychological outcomes that can be attributed to perfectionism is depression (Black & Reynolds, 2013; Fry & Debats, 2009). Sherry, Sherry, Hewitt, Mushquash, and Flett (2014) found that socially prescribed perfectionism and depression were positively correlated in college students, and Huggins, Davis, Rooney, and Kane (2008) also found that socially prescribed perfectionism was a significant indicator of depression for preadolescents. Christopher and Shewmaker (2010) confirmed the relationship between depression and socially prescribed perfectionism in gifted children, but their sample consisted of mostly Caucasian children from Texas.
People sometimes become depressed if they do not satisfy their needs (Landolt, et al., 2012). Since people who are gifted have exceptional abilities, they sometimes set goals that are exceedingly high and unrealistic, which could lead to depression if they do not meet those standards (Jackson & Peterson, 2003). Thus, perfectionism and depression can hinder the performance and impede the development of...