The influence of perfectionism on mental health in gifted and twice-exceptional students

Abstract

Although a long-standing interest in the abilities of gifted students exists, researchers and clinicians have only recently focused on specific factors that may impact the likelihood of mental health diagnoses, such as anxiety and depression, within this population. This is especially true for gifted students with co-existing disabilities, or twice-exceptional students, who may have unique experiences that differ from those of gifted students without disabilities. Perfectionism is one factor that may be important to consider when examining factors that impact the development of anxiety and depression within these populations.The current study examined how perfectionism differs within gifted and twiceexceptional students within the context of self-reported anxiety and depression. Scores were reported for both gifted (N = 39) and twice-exceptional (N = 28) participants ages 8-14 on the