Perfectionism erodes social self-esteem and generates depressive symptoms: Studying mother-daughter dyads using a daily diary design with longitudinal follow-up

- Tested the perfectionism social disconnection model in 218 mother-daughter dyads.
- Study involved a daily dairy design with longitudinal follow-up.
- Daughters' perfectionism predicted daughters' depression by lowering daughters' esteem.
- Mothers' perfectionism predicted daughters' depression by lowering daughters' esteem.
- Clarified the characterological and the interpersonal context in which depression occurs.

The perfectionism social disconnection model (PSDM) asserts socially prescribed perfectionism confers risk for depression by eroding social self-esteem. However, self-oriented perfectionism and other-oriented perfectionism are neglected in extant tests of the PSDM. Moreover, the PSDM attributes the source of depression to dispositional characteristics without considering interpersonal contexts. We expanded and tested the PSDM in 218 mother-daughter dyads using a daily diary design with longitudinal follow-up. Daughters completed measures of self-oriented and socially prescribed perfectionism (Wave 1), social self-esteem (Wave 2), and depression (Wave 1 and Wave 3). Mothers completed a measure of other-oriented perfectionism (Wave 1). Daughters' socially prescribed and self-oriented perfectionism, and mothers' other-oriented perfectionism, conferred vulnerability to daughters' depression by lowering daughters' social self-esteem.