“It pushes me, but it also drains me”: A qualitative study of perfectionism and well-being among doctoral students in India

PURPOSE: Although perfectionism has been linked to academic achievement and psychological functioning, less is known about how doctoral students experience, interpret, and negotiate perfectionism in their academic lives, particularly within Indian higher education. This qualitative exploratory study examined how doctoral students in India experience perfectionism. METHOD: The study was conducted between October 2024 and March 2026 following institutional ethics approval (Ref: IEC2: 177/2025). Thirteen doctoral students were recruited purposively after screening for sociodemographic variation and scores on the Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Five themes were identified: Making sense of perfectionism, Expressions of perfectionistic tendencies, Influences on perfectionism, The double-edged experience, and Managing perfectionism. Findings suggest that perfectionism was experienced as both rewarding and exhausting, dynamically shaped by personal standards, academic cultures, supervisory relationships, familial expectations, and broader socio-cultural ideals of achievement. CONCLUSIONS: By situating perfectionism within the Indian doctoral context, this study contributes to the literature on mental health and well-being in higher education. Findings may inform doctoral supervision, institutional support systems, and interventions aimed at addressing maladaptive perfectionism while supporting students' well-being.