Perfectionism May Be Risk Factor for Severe Alcohol Use Disorder

YOU MEAN ALCOHOLISM? –

Aug. 2, 2022 – In the study, researchers from Belgium recruited 65 adults with SAUD undergoing inpatient treatment and 65 adults without the condition. Each participant completed the Hewitt Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale to evaluate three forms of perfectionism. These include:

Self-oriented perfectionism: exaggerated performance standards placed on oneself.
Socially-prescribed perfectionism: a perception of high expectations coming from other people.
Other-orientated perfectionism: setting unrealistically high standards for others.

In addition to perfectionist tendencies, the researchers evaluated symptoms of depression and anxiety in each participant. Specifically, they looked at trait anxiety, which is anxiety related to a person’s broad experience, and state anxiety, a type of anxiety resulting from a specific situation. After processing the data, scientists discovered that study participants with SAUD reported higher trait anxiety and symptoms of depression than the control group.