Mental Health

Perfectionists More Likely to Turn Into Quitters

By Christine Hsu | Update Date: Jul 31, 2015 06:44 PM EDT

Perfectionists are more likely to become quitters, according to a new study.

The latest findings come from the meta-analysis of 43 studies over the past 20 years. All studies examined the relationship between perfectionism and burnout.

After analyzing "perfectionistic strivings" and "perfectionistic concerns," researchers found that perfectionism significantly increases the risk of burnout.

The study defined "perfectionistic strivings" as making high personal standards and working toward those goals in a pro-active manner. "Perfectionistic concerns" were defined as frequently worrying about making mistakes and disappointing others.

"Perfectionistic concerns capture fears and doubts about personal performance, which creates stress that can lead to burnout when people become cynical and stop caring," Hill said. "It also can interfere with relationships and make it difficult to cope with setbacks because every mistake is viewed as a disaster," lead researcher Andrew Hill, an associate professor of sport psychology at York St. John University in England, said in a news release.

"People need to learn to challenge the irrational beliefs that underlie perfectionistic concerns by setting realistic goals, accepting failure as a learning opportunity, and forgiving themselves when they fail," Hill explained. "Creating environments where creativity, effort and perseverance are valued also would help."

The findings are published in the journal Personality and Social Psychology Review.

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