Perfectionism mediated the relationship between brain structure variation and negative emotion in a nonclinical sample

Abstract

In maladaptive respects, perfectionism reflects an individual's concern over making mistakes and doubting the quality of his or her own actions excessively, which would affect one's emotion. However, little is known about the neural mechanisms associated with the perfectionism and negative affect. In this study, voxel-based morphometry was performed to identify the brain regions underlying individual differences in perfectionism, which was measured by the Chinese Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (CFMPS), in a large sample of nonclinical young adults. Our results showed that the two subdimensions of the perfectionism, concern over mistakes (CM) and doubts about actions (DA), were both positively correlated with the self-reported anxiety and depression as well as the gray matter volume (GMV) in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), a pivotal brain region in cognitive control, affective state, and regulation. Moreover, CM, DA, and organization scores were respectively correlated with distributed brain regions involved in multiple cognitive and emotion processes. Our results furthermore revealed that the score of DA acted a mediational mechanism underlying the relationship between the GMV of ACC and self-rating negative affect (anxiety and depression). Taken together, these results might suggest the neuroanatomical basis of perfectionism and the association among the perfectionism, negative emotion, and brain architecture. This study emphasized that perfectionism could play a crucial role in the arousal of negative affect.

Long-Term PTSD Risks in Emergency Medical Technicians Who Responded to the 2016 Taiwan Earthquake: A Six-Month Observational Follow-Up Study

“…Therefore, stressed rescuers with feelings of guilt or failure about their missions are at greater risk of PTSD. Furthermore, biological evidence has shown that perfectionism may be correlated with gray matter volume reduction in the anterior cingulate cortex [35], which is the brain area responsible for emotional regulation and is highly correlated with PTSD [36]. Clinically, rescuers with certain personality tendencies, based on the results of our study, should pay more attention to their psychological condition following rescue missions, and further symptom management can be implemented if the guilty feeling persists.…”

Stress Regulation, Physical Activity, and Perseverance in Spanish Teenagers with Perfectionist Trends

“…Until some decades ago perfectionism was understood as dysfunctional, being related to eating disorders [43,45], anxiety and depression [32], and stress [31,33]. Previous studies starting from this perspective have tried to explain perfectionism without understanding potential factors that can serve as emotional resources to withstand stress [49].…”

Mindfulness Training for Improving Attention Regulation in University Students: Is It Effective? and Do Yoga and Homework Matter?

“…This set of attention regulation strategies is thought to contribute to self-regulation (Rueda et al, 2005), a construct referring to a range of abilities facilitating target-oriented behavior and appropriate reactions to mentally challenging stimuli via control of cognition, emotion, and behavior (Posner et al, 2007;Fjell et al, 2012;Zelazo and Lyons, 2012). Thus, mindfulness training is assumed to foster self-regulation via the improvement of attention regulation.…”