Suicide and Self-Injury
Perfectionism and Suicidal Ideation Through the Lens of the Integrated Motivational–Volitional Model of Suicide
Emma Moscardini, M.A.
Doctoral Candidate
Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Anthony Robinson, M.A.
Graduate Student
Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Matthew Calamia, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Raymond P. Tucker, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
The integrated motivational–volitional (IMV) model of suicide posits that suicidal ideation (SI) results from feelings of defeat and entrapment. Although numerous studies lend support for the relations between defeat, entrapment, and SI, less research has focused on factors which may be related to the onset of feelings of defeat—coined pre-motivational factors. One potentially important pre-motivational vulnerability factor for the development of feelings of defeat is socially prescribed perfectionism, a component of perfectionism where one believes they have failed to meet the high or unrealistic expectations of those around them.
The current study sought to investigate the relations of these variables, and other perfectionism related experiences (i.e., negative social comparisons, rejection sensitivity) in a sample of 313 US adults who had experienced SI in the past year. Participants were predominantly women (74.4%), White (78%), and ranged in age from 18 to 80. Parallel mediation analyses were conducted to determine the associations between defeat, entrapment, and perfectionism related experiences (i.e., social prescribed perfectionism, rejection sensitivity, negative social comparison). Results indicated that both negative social comparison and rejection sensitivity mediated the relation between social prescribed perfectionism and defeat. In addition, defeat mediated the relation between both negative social comparison, rejection sensitivity, and entrapment. These associations were the greatest when considering externalized entrapment compared to internalized entrapment.
The findings of this study support that understanding factors which increase risk of feelings of defeat is of importance in understanding one’s risk for experiencing SI. It seems that socially prescribes perfectionism as well as one’s propensity to believe they are inferior to others and anticipate rejection, increases their risk of subsequently experiencing defeat. The experience of defeat in turn heightens their risk for experiencing entrapment and thus SI. Regarding the clinical implications of these findings, previous treatment outcomes research indicates that perfectionism-related experiences, defeat, and entrapment are mutable treatment targets. As such, future research may benefit by determining if interventions targeting perfectionism-related experiences is helpful for mitigating SI severity and suicide risk broadly. This study was limited by its cross-sectional design and homogenous sample.