The relationship between socially prescribed perfectionism and depression in university students: Mediating Effects of Self-Forgiveness

Objectives The purpose of this study is to analyze the effect of socially prescribed perfectionism of university students on depression and to confirm the mediating effect of each sub-factor of self-forgiveness and self-forgiveness in the relationship between socially prescribed perfectionism and depression. Methods To study this, 395 domestic university students (male: 175; female: 220) were analyzed for the mediating effect of self-forgiveness in the relationship between socially prescribed perfectionism and depression. For the collected data, descriptive statistical analysis, reliability analysis, and correlation analysis were performed using SPSS 18.0, and the mediating effect of self-forgiveness in the relationship between socially prescribed perfectionism and depression was verified through SPSS Process Macro (MODEL 4). Results First, university students' socially prescribed perfectionism showed a significant positive correlation with depression, and a significant negative correlation with self-forgiveness. Second, the mediating effect of self-forgiveness was significant in the relationship between socially prescribed perfectionism and depression. Third, in the relationship between socially prescribed perfectionism and depression, all factors except acceptance and improvement showed significant mediating effects among the sub-factors of self-forgiveness. Conclusions The results of this study improved the understanding of depression among university students by verifying the effect of socially prescribed perfectionism on depression, and suggested that self-forgiveness could be helpful as a counseling intervention and measure to alleviate depression. These results are significant in that they presented the theoretical basis for developing self-forgiveness-based programs and providing information in the actual counseling scene of university students.