When being imperfect just won't do: Exploring the relationship between perfectionism, emotion dysregulation, and suicidal ideation

Although the relationship between perfectionism and suicidal ideation is well established, little is known about the pathways through which perfectionism and suicidal ideation are linked. Therefore, the current study explored emotion dysregulation as an indirect effect of the relationship between perfectionism and suicidal ideation. Among university students (N = 130), we found that perfectionistic concerns and perfectionistic strivings were positively associated with suicidal ideation and that emotion dysregulation accounted for these relationships. Furthermore, two specific components of emotion dysregulation, emotional clarity and access to emotion regulation strategies, uniquely accounted for the relationship between perfectionistic concerns and suicidal ideation. Access to emotion regulation strategies uniquely accounted for the relationship between perfectionistic strivings and suicidal ideation. This is the first study to identify the role of emotion dysregulation as a key pathway that accounts for the relationship between perfectionism and suicidal ideation. Limitations, future research directions, and implications for reducing suicidal ideation among perfectionistic individuals are discussed.