| Deliberate self-harm (DSH) or self-injury is defined as the deliberate destruction or alteration of one's own body, performed without suicidal intent. Anecdotal reports have suggested that perfectionism is a common characterological trait among individuals who engage in DSH, but the relationship between DSH and perfectionism has not been studied empirically. As a preliminary means of exploring the contribution of perfectionism in the development and maintenance of DSH, the primary goal of the present study was to explore the prevalence and nature of perfectionism within a DSH population compared to an eating disorder population and a comorbid eating disorder/DSH population. Both theoretical and empirical links have been established between DSH and eating disorders, and between eating disorders and perfectionism. A secondary goal of this study was to explore the possibility that within DSH, eating disorder, and comorbid eating disorder/DSH populations, individuals who self-identify as survivors of childhood abuse or neglect exhibit differential rates of interpersonal, intrapersonal, and self-presentational dimensions of perfectionism as compared to individuals who do not self-identify as survivors of childhood abuse or neglect. Due to the controversies surrounding a single definition of perfectionism and the unique aspects of this construct assessed by various perfectionism measures, multiple measures of perfectionism were utilized in an attempt to more fully understand the relationships between perfectionism, DSH, and eating disorders.; Multivariate analyses of variance were conducted to examine commonalities and differences between groups. The results support the importance of examining trait perfectionism from a multidimensional perspective and support the importance of examining self-presentational styles of perfectionism as an important component of perfectionistic behavior. Commonalities and differences in trait and self-presentational perfectionism are discussed in terms of implications for clinical practice. Based on the results of this study, directions for future research are suggested. |
