Demoralization during Adolescence

The Role of Perfectionism and Social Support

Abstract

Demoralization is a psychiatric syndrome that is conceptually different from depression. However, little attention has been given to understanding demoralization and its antecedent factors. Guided by literature, the present study examined the roles of perfectionism and perceived social support in demoralization among adolescents. A total of 537 high school students in Taiwan responded to a hardcopy questionnaire consisting of the Mandarin version of the Demoralization Scale, Bi-mode Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale, and Multidimensional Perceived Social Support Scale. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis showed (a) lower demoralization level in Senior 2 students than their juniors, (b) maladaptive perfectionism is positively related to demoralization, and (c) adaptive perfectionism and perceived social support are negatively related to demoralization. The present study not only extends the literature on demoralization to ordinary adolescents but also offers empirical support to the buffering effect of adaptive perfectionism and perceived social support. Implications of the findings and suggestions for future studies are also discussed.