Abstract
Introduction: This six-week four-wave prospective study was designed to test the tenets of the Perfectionism Social Disconnection Model (PSDM) using bullying victimisation and help-seeking as markers of social disconnection and suicide ideation as the outcome measure. Specifically, it was investigated whether in-person and online experiences of bullying victimisation and help-seeking behaviour mediated the relationship between dimensions of trait perfectionism (self-oriented and socially prescribed) and perfectionistic self-presentation styles (perfectionistic self-promotion, nondisplay of imperfection, and nondisclosure of imperfection) and suicide ideation. Methods: A sample of undergraduate psychology students aged 18 to 24 years completed suicide ideation and trait perfectionism measures at baseline (Wave 1) and a measure of perfectionistic self-presentation styles at baseline and two weeks later (Wave 2). At four weeks (Wave 3), participants reported their experiences of bullying victimisation (in-person and cyber) and their engagement in help-seeking over the assessment interval. At six weeks (Wave 4), participants were again asked whether they had been experiencing suicide ideation. Path models were tested in MPlus to analyse the influence of each perfectionism component on suicide ideation via social disconnection. A comprehensive model was also tested to assess for sequential indirect effects of perfectionistic self-presentation styles (Wave 2) and social disconnection markers (Wave 3) on the association between baseline trait perfectionism and follow-up suicide ideation. All path analyses were adjusted for age, sex and baseline suicide ideation. Results: There were several key findings: (1) Consistent with the PSDM, in-person bullying victimisation mediated the relationship between perfectionistic self-promotion (predicted by trait perfectionism) and follow-up suicide ideation; (2) Both perfectionistic self-promotion and nondisclosure of imperfection were significantly positively associated with cyberbullying victimisation; (3) Socially prescribed perfectionism evinced no direct significant associations with social disconnection markers, yet did predict reduced help-seeking via nondisclosure of imperfection; (4) Almost 40% of participants reported having experienced some form of bullying victimisation over the two-week reporting interval, with higher rates among first year students and those identifying as being of Mà„ori ethnicity. Conclusion: Study findings provide limited support for the PSDM as a model to understand increased risk of suicidality as a function of interpersonal problems. However, the findings need to be considered in the context of study limitations, including the unusual social context occasioned by a global pandemic. Future research can further elucidate conditions under which specific elements of perfectionism give rise to various forms of social disconnection and increased risk of suicide ideation, as well as considering alternative pathways by which the relevant variables may be connected.