Perfectionism in Children and Adolescents with Eating-Related Symptoms: A Systematic Review and a Meta-Analysis of Effect Estimates
Background: Over 40 years of research implicates perfectionism in eating disorders in childhood and adolescence. However, the nature of this relationship remains understudied. To address this gap, we performed a systematic review and a meta-analysis to quantify the magnitude of the associations betw...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-04-01
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| Series: | Adolescents |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-7051/3/2/22 |
| _version_ | 1827739137735655424 |
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| author | Audrey Livet Xavier Navarri Philippe Pétrin Pomerleau Sébastien Champagne Fakir Md Yunus Nicholas Chadi Gail McVey Patricia Conrod |
| author_facet | Audrey Livet Xavier Navarri Philippe Pétrin Pomerleau Sébastien Champagne Fakir Md Yunus Nicholas Chadi Gail McVey Patricia Conrod |
| author_sort | Audrey Livet |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Over 40 years of research implicates perfectionism in eating disorders in childhood and adolescence. However, the nature of this relationship remains understudied. To address this gap, we performed a systematic review and a meta-analysis to quantify the magnitude of the associations between perfectionism (i.e., unidimensional perfectionism, perfectionistic strivings, and perfectionistic concerns) and eating-related symptoms during childhood and adolescence. Methods: The literature search was conducted using five electronic databases in accordance with PRISMA guidelines: MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL Complete, APA PsycINFO, and EMB Reviews. A total of 904 studies were identified; a total of 126 were included in the systematic review, and 65 in the meta-analysis (N = 29,268). Sensitivity analyses were also carried out to detect potential differences in age and clinical status. Results: All the associations we investigated were both significant and positive. Small effect sizes were found between eating global scores and unidimensional perfectionism, perfectionistic strivings, and perfectionistic concerns (r<sub>es</sub> = 0.19, r<sub>es</sub> = 0.21, r<sub>es</sub> = 0.12, respectively) and remained significant in each age group in both clinical and community samples. Perfectionistic concerns were moderately associated with all eating measures, especially in community samples and samples with a mean age under 14. Conclusions: Psychological interventions specially designed to target perfectionistic concerns in the early stages of development may help prevent the onset or reduce the intensity of eating-related symptoms during childhood and adolescence. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T02:53:50Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7b652a824d0f4976b1d6fbb1ef6e32f2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2673-7051 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T02:53:50Z |
| publishDate | 2023-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Adolescents |
| spelling | doaj.art-7b652a824d0f4976b1d6fbb1ef6e32f22023-11-18T08:49:22ZengMDPI AGAdolescents2673-70512023-04-013230532910.3390/adolescents3020022Perfectionism in Children and Adolescents with Eating-Related Symptoms: A Systematic Review and a Meta-Analysis of Effect EstimatesAudrey Livet0Xavier Navarri1Philippe Pétrin Pomerleau2Sébastien Champagne3Fakir Md Yunus4Nicholas Chadi5Gail McVey6Patricia Conrod7CHU Sainte-Justine Research Centre, Montreal, QC H3T 1C5, CanadaCHU Sainte-Justine Research Centre, Montreal, QC H3T 1C5, CanadaCHU Sainte-Justine Research Centre, Montreal, QC H3T 1C5, CanadaBibliothèque du CHUM, Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H2X 1N6, CanadaDepartment of Psychology and Neuroscience, Faculty of Science, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, CanadaCHU Sainte-Justine Research Centre, Montreal, QC H3T 1C5, CanadaEating Disorders Ontario, University Health Network, Toronto, ON M5G 2C4, CanadaCHU Sainte-Justine Research Centre, Montreal, QC H3T 1C5, CanadaBackground: Over 40 years of research implicates perfectionism in eating disorders in childhood and adolescence. However, the nature of this relationship remains understudied. To address this gap, we performed a systematic review and a meta-analysis to quantify the magnitude of the associations between perfectionism (i.e., unidimensional perfectionism, perfectionistic strivings, and perfectionistic concerns) and eating-related symptoms during childhood and adolescence. Methods: The literature search was conducted using five electronic databases in accordance with PRISMA guidelines: MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL Complete, APA PsycINFO, and EMB Reviews. A total of 904 studies were identified; a total of 126 were included in the systematic review, and 65 in the meta-analysis (N = 29,268). Sensitivity analyses were also carried out to detect potential differences in age and clinical status. Results: All the associations we investigated were both significant and positive. Small effect sizes were found between eating global scores and unidimensional perfectionism, perfectionistic strivings, and perfectionistic concerns (r<sub>es</sub> = 0.19, r<sub>es</sub> = 0.21, r<sub>es</sub> = 0.12, respectively) and remained significant in each age group in both clinical and community samples. Perfectionistic concerns were moderately associated with all eating measures, especially in community samples and samples with a mean age under 14. Conclusions: Psychological interventions specially designed to target perfectionistic concerns in the early stages of development may help prevent the onset or reduce the intensity of eating-related symptoms during childhood and adolescence.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-7051/3/2/22perfectionismanorexia nervosabulimia nervosaeating disordersadolescence |
| spellingShingle | Audrey Livet Xavier Navarri Philippe Pétrin Pomerleau Sébastien Champagne Fakir Md Yunus Nicholas Chadi Gail McVey Patricia Conrod Perfectionism in Children and Adolescents with Eating-Related Symptoms: A Systematic Review and a Meta-Analysis of Effect Estimates Adolescents perfectionism anorexia nervosa bulimia nervosa eating disorders adolescence |
| title | Perfectionism in Children and Adolescents with Eating-Related Symptoms: A Systematic Review and a Meta-Analysis of Effect Estimates |
| title_full | Perfectionism in Children and Adolescents with Eating-Related Symptoms: A Systematic Review and a Meta-Analysis of Effect Estimates |
| title_fullStr | Perfectionism in Children and Adolescents with Eating-Related Symptoms: A Systematic Review and a Meta-Analysis of Effect Estimates |
| title_full_unstemmed | Perfectionism in Children and Adolescents with Eating-Related Symptoms: A Systematic Review and a Meta-Analysis of Effect Estimates |
| title_short | Perfectionism in Children and Adolescents with Eating-Related Symptoms: A Systematic Review and a Meta-Analysis of Effect Estimates |
| title_sort | perfectionism in children and adolescents with eating related symptoms a systematic review and a meta analysis of effect estimates |
| topic | perfectionism anorexia nervosa bulimia nervosa eating disorders adolescence |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-7051/3/2/22 |
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