Online help for perfectionism cut putting things off no more than a feelings course
Who it’s about: Adults
- No difference
Online help for perfectionism cut putting things off no more than an online course on dealing with feelings.
- Action: Do a short self-compassion exercisetested
- Action: Challenge unhelpful thoughtsused
- Rule: Through an online programmeused
- Rule: With a coach or therapistused
Randomised trial of 138 adults in Sweden with strong perfectionism · vs an online feelings course with the same therapist · they rated themselves
The study
Who took part
138 adults in Sweden who wanted help with strong perfectionism, 69 in each group. They were about 34 on average, and about 9 in 10 were women.
What they did
For eight weeks, one group did a weekly online lesson on perfectionism. It used therapy that challenges unhelpful thoughts, small real-life tests and practice in being kind to yourself. The other group did a weekly online lesson on how to notice and deal with feelings. Both groups could message a therapist, who wrote back within a day.
What happened
Both groups said they put things off less by the end. Neither group did better than the other at the end, six months later or a year later. No group went without help, and parts of the paper's tables are garbled, but the main result is clear.
Source
Treating perfectionism via the Internet: a randomized controlled trial comparing cognitive behavior therapy to unified protocol (2024)
DOI: 10.1080/16506073.2024.2327339 (opens in a new tab)Tools in this study
Action5
Challenge unhelpful thoughtsCognitive restructuring of beliefs such as perfectionism or catastrophising.
