The Impact of Perfectionism on the Incidence of Major Depression in Chinese Medical Freshmen: From a 1-Year Longitudinal Study

Perfectionism is a pivotal factor in the etiology and prognosis of major depression. Nevertheless, there is a scarcity of longitudinal research examining the association between perfectionism and major depressive disorder (MDD). The objective of this study was to explore the impact of perfectionism on MDD among a cohort of first-year Chinese university students. This study employed a longitudinal design to investigate the relationship between perfectionism and MDD in a sample of first-year Chinese university students (n=8079). Socially prescribed perfectionism and almost perfectionism were measured using the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (MPS) and the Almost Perfect Scale-Revised (APS-R), while MDD was assessed using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI-3.0). Random effects logistic regression modeling was utilized to estimate the associations between the variables. The findings revealed that the incidence of MDD was 0.6%. Lifetime exposure to severe traumatic events (≥10) (OR=2.619, 95% CI: 1.502-4.565) and almost perfectionism (OR=1.015, 95% CI: 1.004-1.026) were identified as significant risk factors for MDD. It is evident that perfectionism is linked to an increased susceptibility to MDD. However, additional longitudinal studies focusing on university students are imperative to delve deeper into the influence of perfectionism on the initial manifestation of MDD.