The Dynamics of Perfectionism and Psychological Distress: The Mediating Role of Self-Esteem
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26623/philanthropy.v10i1.14371Keywords:
psychological distress, perfectionism, self-esteem, senior college studentsAbstract
Senior students often face stress while writing their theses, which can potentially lead to psychological distress. One dispositional factor believed to play a role is perfectionism, with self-esteem serving as the psychological mechanism that explains this relationship. This study aims to examine the role of self-esteem as a mediator in the relationship between perfectionism and distress. The study employed a quantitative approach with 361 participants. Measurements were taken using the DASS-21, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), and the MPCI-E, and the data were analyzed using mediation analysis. The results showed that perfectionism was positively associated with distress (r = 0.435; p < .001) and negatively associated with self-esteem (r = -0.238; p < .001), while self-esteem was negatively associated with distress (r = -0.539; p < .001). Self-esteem was found to partially mediate the relationship between perfectionism and distress (B = 0.193; p < .001). These findings underscore the importance of self-esteem in explaining the contribution of perfectionism to psychological distress.
References
Aditomo, A., & Retnowati, S. (2004). Perfeksionisme, harga diri, dan kecenderungan depresi pada remaja akhir. Jurnal Psikologi, 31(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.22146/jpsi.7033
Agusmar, A. Y., Vani, A. T., & Wahyuni, S. (2019). Perbandingan Tingkat Stres pada Mahasiswa Angkatan 2018 dengan Angkatan 2015 Fakultas Kedokteran Universitas Baiturrahmah. Health and Medical Journal, 1(2), 34–38. https://doi.org/10.33854/heme.v1i2.238
Alwi, M. A., & Razak, A. (2022). Adaptasi Rosenberg’s self-esteem di Indonesia. In Seminar Nasional Hasil Penelitian 2022: Membangun Negeri dengan Inovasi tiada Henti Melalui Penelitian dan Pengabdian kepada Masyarakat (Prosiding LP2M Universitas Negeri Makassar).
Anjarwati, D., & Noorrizkki, R. D. (2024). Stres pada Mahasiswa yang sedang Menyelesaikan Skripsi: Sebuah Kajian Literatur. Flourishing Journal, 4(5), 201–209. https://doi.org/10.17977/um070v4i52024p201-209
Antara, N. L. K. D. D. L., Purnomo, K. I., & Giri, M. K. W. (2025). Hubungan antara stres akademik dengan resiliensi mahasiswa S1 di Indonesia: Tinjauan literatur. Jurnal Kesehatan Tambusai. https://journal.universitaspahlawan.ac.id/index.php/jkt/article/view/53348
Ashby, J. S., & Rice, K. G. (2002). Perfectionism, Dysfunctional Attitudes, and Self‐Esteem: A Structural Equations Analysis. Journal of Counseling & Development, 80(2), 197–203. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1556-6678.2002.tb00183.x
Beck, A. T. (1974). Beck, Aaron T. Depression: Causes and Treatment. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1972. Pp. 370. American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, 16(4), 281–282. https://doi.org/10.1080/00029157.1974.10403697
Chai, L., Yang, W., Zhang, J., Chen, S., Hennessy, D. A., & Liu, Y. (2020). Relationship Between Perfectionism and Depression Among Chinese College Students With Self-Esteem as a Mediator. OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying, 80(3), 490–503. https://doi.org/10.1177/0030222819849746
Curran, T., & Hill, A. P. (2019). Perfectionism is increasing over time: A meta-analysis of birth cohort differences from 1989 to 2016. Psychological Bulletin, 145(4), 410–429. https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000138
Flett, G. L., & Hewitt, P. L. (2002). Perfectionism cognitions, rumination, and psychological distress. Journal of Rational-Emotive and Cognitive-Behavior Therapy, 20(1), 33–47. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1015128904007
Gil, T. C., Obando, D., García-Martín, M. B., & Sandoval-Reyes, J. (2023). Perfectionism, Academic Stress, Rumination and Worry: A Predictive Model for Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms in University Students From Colombia. Emerging Adulthood, 11(5), 1091–1105. https://doi.org/10.1177/21676968231188759
Giyarto. (2018). Stres pada mahasiswa tingkat akhir Fakultas Psikologi Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta dalam mengerjakan skripsi (Skripsi, Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta). http://eprints.ums.ac.id/68524
Glozah, F. N., & Pevalin, D. J. (2014). Social support, stress, health, and academic success in Ghanaian adolescents: A path analysis. Journal of Adolescence, 37(4), 451–460. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2014.03.010
Gustina, B. (2019). The role of self-esteem in predicting psychological distress in first-year students of Universitas Indonesia. Universitas Indonesia. https://lib.ui.ac.id/detail?id=20491621
Hakim, Moh. A., & Aristawati, N. V. (2023). Mengukur depresi, kecemasan, dan stres pada kelompok dewasa awal di Indonesia: Uji validitas dan reliabilitas konstruk DASS-21. Jurnal Psikologi Ulayat, 10(2), 232–250. https://doi.org/10.24854/jpu553
Hendarto, W. T., & Ambarwati, K. D. (2020). Perfeksionisme dan Distres Psikologis pada Mahasiswa. Jurnal Ilmiah Bimbingan Konseling Undiksha, 11(2). https://doi.org/10.23887/jjbk.v11i2.30524
Jayanthi, P., Thirunavukarasu, M., & Rajkumar, R. (2015). Academic stress and depression among adolescents: A cross-sectional study. Indian Pediatrics, 52(3), 217–219. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13312-015-0609-y
Kernis, M. H., Brockner, J., & Frankel, B. S. (1989). Self-esteem and reactions to failure: The mediating role of overgeneralization. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 57(4), 707–714. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.57.4.707
Khossousi, V., Greene, D., Shafran, R., Callaghan, T., Dickinson, S., & Egan, S. J. (2024). The relationship between perfectionism and self-esteem in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 52(6), 646–665. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1352465824000249
Kloidt, J., & Barsalou, L. W. (2024). Establishing a Comprehensive Hierarchical construct of Eustress (CHE). Current Psychology, 43(41), 32258–32273. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-024-06750-7
Kupriyanov, R., & Zhdanov, R. (2014). The eustress concept: Problems and outlooks. World Journal of Medical Sciences, 11(2), 179–185.
Lazarus, R. S., & Folkman, S. (1984). Stress, appraisal, and coping. Springer Publishing Company.
Lazarus. (1986). Stress, Appraisal and CopingS. Lazarus and S. Folkman, New York: Springer, 1984, pp. 444,. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 14(4), 345–345. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0141347300015019
Lovibond, P. F., & Lovibond, S. H. (1995). The structure of negative emotional states: Comparison of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS) with the Beck Depression and Anxiety Inventories. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 33(3), 335–343. https://doi.org/10.1016/0005-7967(94)00075-U
Marfuatunnisa, N., & Sandjaja, M. (2023). Stres Akademik pada Mahasiswa yang Mengerjakan Skripsi di Indonesia Ditinjau dari Academic Help-seeking dan Resiliensi Akademik. Jurnal Diversita, 9(2), 218–227. https://doi.org/10.31289/diversita.v9i2.9356
Maritapiska. (2003). Perbedaan tingkat psychological distress mahasiswa. Jakarta : Gramedia Pustaka Utama.
Maroqi, N. (2019). Uji Validitas Konstruk Pada Instrumen Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale Dengan Metode Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). Jurnal Pengukuran Psikologi dan Pendidikan Indonesia (JP3I), 7(2), 92–96. https://doi.org/10.15408/jp3i.v7i2.12101
Matthews, G. (2016). Distress. In G. Fink (Ed.), Stress: Concepts, cognition, emotion, and behavior (pp. 219–226). Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-800951-2.00026-1
Mirowsky, J., & Ross, C. E. (1986). Social patterns of distress. Annual Review of Sociology, 12, 23–45. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.so.12.080186.000323
Molnar, D. S., Reker, D. L., Culp, N. A., Sadava, S. W., & DeCourville, N. H. (2006). A mediated model of perfectionism, affect, and physical health. Journal of Research in Personality, 40(5), 482–500. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrp.2005.04.002
Moroz, M., & Dunkley, D. M. (2015). Self-esteem as a mediator between perfectionism and depressive symptoms: A longitudinal study. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 62(4), 595–606. https://doi.org/10.1037/cou0000100
O’Connor, D. B., O’Connor, R. C., & Marshall, R. (2007). Perfectionism and psychological distress: Evidence of the mediating effects of rumination. European Journal of Personality, 21(4), 429–452. https://doi.org/10.1002/per.616
Park, H., Paul Heppner, P., & Lee, D. (2010). Maladaptive coping and self-esteem as mediators between perfectionism and psychological distress. Personality and Individual Differences, 48(4), 469–474. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2009.11.024
Pascoe, M. C., Hetrick, S. E., & Parker, A. G. (2020). The impact of stress on students in secondary school and higher education. International Journal of Adolescence and Youth, 25(1), 104–112. https://doi.org/10.1080/02673843.2019.1596823
Rice, K. G., Ashby, J. S., & Slaney, R. B. (1998). Self-esteem as a mediator between perfectionism and depression: A structural equations analysis. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 45(3), 304–314. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0167.45.3.304
Rosenberg, M. (1965). Society and the adolescent self-image. Princeton University Press. https://doi.org/10.1515/9781400876136
Santoso, A. E., Astuti, N. W., & Ninawati. (2020). Hubungan perfectionism dengan harga diri pada mahasiswa dewasa awal. Provitae: Jurnal Psikologi Pendidikan, 13(1), 92–108. https://doi.org/10.24912/provitae.v13i1.7737
Saraswati, S. D., & Hernawa, T. M. R. (2022). Perfeksionisme dan Stres Mengerjakan Skripsi. Suksma: Jurnal Psikologi Universitas Sanata Dharma, 3(1), 4-20. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.24071/suksma.v3i1.4508
Shafran, R., Cooper, Z., & Fairburn, C. G. (2002). Clinical perfectionism: A cognitive–behavioural analysis. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 40(7), 773–791. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0005-7967(01)00059-6
Stoeber, J., Kobori, O., & Tanno, Y. (2010). The Multidimensional Perfectionism Cognitions Inventory–English (MPCI–E): Reliability, Validity, and Relationships With Positive and Negative Affect. Journal of Personality Assessment, 92(1), 16–25. https://doi.org/10.1080/00223890903379159
Sugiarti, D., Geshica, L., Prabowo, D. A., Rachmawati, A., Alkarisya, A., & Mulyaningrum, V. A. (2018). Ups and downs as Indonesian college students: Risk and protective factors for psychological distress. In M. T. Leung & L. M. Tan (Eds.), Applied psychology readings (pp. 281–293). Springer Nature Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-8034-0_16
Sugito, I. F. (2023). Gambaran tingkat stres dalam menyusun skripsi pada mahasiswa semester akhir di Fakultas Psikologi Universitas Medan Area (Skripsi, Universitas Medan Area). https://repositori.uma.ac.id/handle/123456789/21317
Sunarty, K. (2016). Survei faktor-faktor penghambat penulisan skripsi pada mahasiswa Universitas Negeri Makassar. Lembaga Penelitian Universitas Negeri Makassar. https://eprints.unm.ac.id/2225/
Verger, P., Combes, J.-B., Kovess-Masfety, V., Choquet, M., Guagliardo, V., Rouillon, F., & Peretti-Wattel, P. (2009). Psychological distress in first year university students: Socioeconomic and academic stressors, mastery and social support in young men and women. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 44(8), 643–650. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-008-0486-y
Zakaria, D. (2017). Tingkat stres mahasiswa ketika menempuh skripsi (Skripsi, Universitas Muhammadiyah Malang). https://eprints.umm.ac.id/id/eprint/43367/
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Janet Ameymiya Azarah, Liftiah
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
The author who will publish the manuscript at Philanthropy: Journal of Psychology, agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
