Perfectionism as a Transdiagnostic Process in Depression and Generalized Anxiety Disorder: Evidence From a Longitudinal Study of Young Women

Perfectionism has been proposed as a transdiagnostic process in the development and maintenance of various mental disorders, including major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Although the relationship between perfectionism and depression is well established, longitudinal studies examining the presence and direction of effects between perfectionism and GAD remain scarce. This study investigates temporal relations between perfectionism and depressive and GAD symptoms in a 12-month longitudinal design. A community sample of 499 women aged 18–30 years completed measures of perfectionistic concerns, perfectionistic strivings, and depressive and GAD symptoms in a three-wave online study. Structural equation modeling with a cross-lagged panel design revealed that perfectionistic concerns predicted subsequent depressive and GAD symptoms and vice versa, indicating a reciprocal relationship. Contrary to our hypothesis, perfectionistic strivings did not predict depressive symptoms, suggesting that perfectionistic strivings may not necessarily be a vulnerability factor for depression. GAD symptoms predicted subsequent perfectionistic strivings, implying that individuals with elevated anxiety may subsequently engage in striving for high standards, potentially as a coping strategy. Our findings support the transdiagnostic relevance of perfectionism. Importantly, our study provides more evidence on the understudied temporal relationship of perfectionism and GAD. • Perfectionistic concerns predict subsequent depressive and GAD symptoms • Depressive and GAD symptoms predict subsequent perfectionistic concerns • GAD symptoms predict subsequent perfectionistic strivings • Striving for unattainable standards may be a coping strategy in people with GAD • Perfectionistic concerns are likely a transdiagnostic process in depression and GAD