PMID: 8964027Jun 1, 1996Paper

Perfectionism: conceptual and clinical aspects

Canadian Journal of Psychiatry. Revue Canadienne De Psychiatrie
C Todorov, A Bazinet

Abstract

Study of the concept of perfectionism and its phenomenology, etiology, and treatment. Review of the literature, phenomenological, and-clinical analyses. The International Classification of Diseases introduced the notion of perfectionism into psychiatric discourse in 1977. In DSM-III, DSM-III-R, and DSM-IV, perfectionism is a diagnostic criterion of obsessive-compulsive disorder, but has never been defined in the psychiatric literature. We differentiate normal perfectionism and pathological perfectionism, which is of some psychiatric interest: normal perfectionism is manifested according to the aptness of the target and its sociocultural value, and is therefore selective and flexible, whereas pathological perfectionism is the compulsive pursuit of a performance level not required by the circumstances and idiosyncratic in nature. Its symptomatology may resemble that of obsessive-compulsive disorder, but is actually quite different: whereas obsessive-compulsive symptoms are absurd and the product of ego-dystonic compulsion, pathological perfectionism is experienced as a personal obligation, and retain an identifiable cultural objective. The phenomenology of the normal and abnormal manifestations of perfectionism is well defined. W...Continue Reading

References

Jun 1, 1992·The American Journal of Psychiatry·J N RicciardiM L Buttolph
May 1, 1991·Psychological Medicine·G NestadtP R McHugh
Mar 1, 1991·Journal of Personality and Social Psychology·P L Hewitt, G L Flett
Sep 1, 1990·Comprehensive Psychiatry·M MavissakalianB Jones
Mar 1, 1995·The International Journal of Eating Disorders·A M BastianiW H Kaye
Apr 1, 1965·Comprehensive Psychiatry·M H HOLLENDER

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

Anxiety Disorders

Discover the latest research on anxiety disorders including agoraphobia, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder here.

Related Papers

Archives of General Psychiatry
David A SolomonMartin B Keller
The International Journal of Eating Disorders
Kalam Sutandar-PinnockA Kaplan
The British Journal of Clinical Psychology
Markus Jansson-Fröjmark, Steven J Linton
© 2021 Meta ULC. All rights reserved