Perfectionism and Psychological Distress among Chinese Judges: Do Age and Gender Make a Difference?
Abstract
Background: Judges may experience mental health problems, which reduces their performance in juridical cases, and constitutes a great threat to both the authority of law and social justice. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of psychological distress among judges and examine the effect of perfectionism on psychological distress with age and gender as the moderators.
Methods: This survey was carried out in person with 565 Chinese judges in 2016, using the Almost Perfect Scale-Revised and the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale. The effects of perfectionism on psychological distress was explored by Structural Equation Model (SEM), and the moderating effects of age and gender were tested by Multi-group analysis.
Results: Psychological distress was reported by 89.20% of the judges surveyed. Discrepancy had a significant positive effect on psychological distress, but order had a significant negative effect on psychological distress, with high standards exerting no significant effect. Age had a significant moderating effect, whereas the moderating effect of gender was not significant.
Conclusion: The three dimensions of perfectionism exerted different effects on psychological distress of Chinese judges, and the relationships were moderated by age.
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2. Flores DM, Miller MK, Chamberlain J, et al (2008). Judges' perspectives on stress and safety in the courtroom: An exploratory study. Court Review, 45(3):76-89.
3. Tsai FJ, Chan CC (2010). Occupational stress and burnout of judges and procu-rators. Int Arch Occup Environ Health, 83(2):133-142.
4. Harvey SB, Modini M, Joyce S, Milligan-Saville JS, et al (2017). Can work make you mentally ill? A systematic meta-review of work-related risk factors for common mental health problems. Occup Environ Med, 74(4):301-310.
5. Bishop SJ, Gagne C (2018). Anxiety, depres-sion, and decision making: A computa-tional perspective. Annu Rev Neurosci, 41:371-388.
6. Hou Y, Li YX (2008). Relationship between job-burnout and mental health of judges. Chinese Journal of Industrial Hygiene and Occu-pational Diseases, 26(6):365-366.
7. DiBartolo P, Li C, Frost R (2008). How do the dimensions of perfectionism relate to mental health? Cognitive Therapy and Re-search, 32(3): 401–417.
8. Slaney RB, Rice KG, Mobley M, et al (2001). The revised almost perfect scale. Measure-ment and Evaluation in Counseling and Develop-ment, 34(3):130-145.
9. Robakowska M, Tyranska-Fobke A, Walkiewicz M, et al (2018). Adaptive and maladaptive perfectionism, and profes-sional burnout among medical laboratory scientists. Med Pr, 69(3):253-260.
10. Park HJ, Jeong DY (2016). Moderation ef-fects of perfectionism and meaning in life on depression. Personality and Individual Dif-ferences, 98:25-29.
11. Childs J, Stoeber J (2012). Do you want me to be perfect? Two longitudinal studies on socially prescribed perfectionism, stress and burnout in the workplace. Work and Stress, 26:347–364.
12. Hill AP, Curran T (2016). Multidimensional perfectionism and burnout: A meta-analysis. Personal Soc Psychol Rev, 20(3):269-288.
13. Limburg K, Watson H, Hagger M, et al (2017). The relationship between perfec-tionism and psychopathology: A meta-analysis. J Clin Psychol, 73(10):1301-1326.
14. O'Connor RC, Rasmussen S, Hawton K (2010). Predicting depression, anxiety and self-harm in adolescents: The role of per-fectionism and acute life stress. Behav Res Ther, 48(1): 52–59.
15. Levine SL, Green-Demers I, Werner KM, et al (2019). Perfectionism in adolescents: Self-critical perfectionism as a predictor of depressive symptoms across the school year. Journal of Social and Clinical Psy-chology, 38(1):70-86.
16. Kim LE, Chen L, MacCann C, et al (2015). Evidence for three factors of perfection-ism: Perfectionistic Strivings, Order, and Perfectionistic Concerns. Pers Individ Dif, 84:16-22.
17. Sastre-Riba S, Perez-Albeniz A, Fonseca-Pedrero E (2016). Assessing perfection-ism in children and adolescents: Psy-chometric properties of the Almost Per-fect Scale Revised. Learning and Individual Differences, 49:386-392.
18. Zhang B, Cai T (2012). Using SEM to ex-amine the dimensions of perfectionism and investigate the mediating role of self-esteem between perfectionism and de-pression in China. Aust J Guid Couns, 22(1):44-57.
19. Nakano K (2009). Perfectionism, self-efficacy, and depression: Preliminary analysis of the Japanese version of the Almost Perfect Scale-Revised. Psychol Rep, 104(3):896-908.
20. Öngen DE (2010). The relationships be-tween adaptive and maladaptive perfec-tionism and aggression among Turkish adolescents. Aust J Guid Couns, 20(1):99-108.
21. Ashby JS, Kutchins CB, Rice KG (2008). Matches and mismatches: Partners, per-fectionism, and premarital adjustment. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 55(1):125-132.
22. De Azevedo MH, Soares MJ, Bos SC, et al (2009). Perfectionism and sleep disturb-ance. World J Biol Psychiatry, 10(3):225-233.
23. Rice KG, Van Arsdale AC (2010). Perfec-tionism, perceived stress, drinking to cope, and alcohol-related problems among college students. Journal of Counsel-ing Psychology, 57(4):439-450.
24. Black J, Reynolds WM (2013). Examining the relationship of perfectionism, depres-sion, and optimism: Testing for media-tion and moderation. Personality and Indi-vidual Differences, 54(3):426-431.
25. Klibert J, Lamis DA, Naufel K, et al (2015). Associations between perfectionism and generalized anxiety: Examining cognitive schemas and gender. Journal of Rational-Emotive & Cognitive-Behavior Therapy, 33(2):160-178.
26. Schweitzer RD, Hamilton TK (2002). Perfec-tionism and mental health in Australian University students: Is there a relation-ship? Journal of College Student Development, 43(5):684-695.
27. Landa CE, Bybee JA (2007). Adaptive ele-ments of aging: Self-image discrepancy, perfectionism, and eating problems. Dev Psychol, 43(1):83-93.
28. Chang EC (2000). Perfectionism as a predic-tor of positive and negative psychological outcomes: Examining a mediation model in younger and older adults. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 47(1):18-26.
29. Department of Human Services (2008). Vic-torian Population Health Survey 2007. Mel-bourne, Victoria: Department of Human Services.
30. Hooper D, Coughlan J, Mullen MR (2008). Structural equation modelling: Guidelines for determining model fit. Electron J Bus Res Methods, 6(1):53-60.
31. Childs J, Stoeber J (2010). Self-oriented, oth-er-oriented, and socially prescribed per-fectionism in employees: Relationships with burnout and engagement. J Work-place Behav Health, 25:269–281.
32. DiBartolo PM, Rendon MJ (2012). A critical examination of the construct of perfec-tionism and its relationship to mental health in Asian and African Americans using a cross-cultural framework. Clin Psy-chol Rev, 32(3):139-152.
2. Flores DM, Miller MK, Chamberlain J, et al (2008). Judges' perspectives on stress and safety in the courtroom: An exploratory study. Court Review, 45(3):76-89.
3. Tsai FJ, Chan CC (2010). Occupational stress and burnout of judges and procu-rators. Int Arch Occup Environ Health, 83(2):133-142.
4. Harvey SB, Modini M, Joyce S, Milligan-Saville JS, et al (2017). Can work make you mentally ill? A systematic meta-review of work-related risk factors for common mental health problems. Occup Environ Med, 74(4):301-310.
5. Bishop SJ, Gagne C (2018). Anxiety, depres-sion, and decision making: A computa-tional perspective. Annu Rev Neurosci, 41:371-388.
6. Hou Y, Li YX (2008). Relationship between job-burnout and mental health of judges. Chinese Journal of Industrial Hygiene and Occu-pational Diseases, 26(6):365-366.
7. DiBartolo P, Li C, Frost R (2008). How do the dimensions of perfectionism relate to mental health? Cognitive Therapy and Re-search, 32(3): 401–417.
8. Slaney RB, Rice KG, Mobley M, et al (2001). The revised almost perfect scale. Measure-ment and Evaluation in Counseling and Develop-ment, 34(3):130-145.
9. Robakowska M, Tyranska-Fobke A, Walkiewicz M, et al (2018). Adaptive and maladaptive perfectionism, and profes-sional burnout among medical laboratory scientists. Med Pr, 69(3):253-260.
10. Park HJ, Jeong DY (2016). Moderation ef-fects of perfectionism and meaning in life on depression. Personality and Individual Dif-ferences, 98:25-29.
11. Childs J, Stoeber J (2012). Do you want me to be perfect? Two longitudinal studies on socially prescribed perfectionism, stress and burnout in the workplace. Work and Stress, 26:347–364.
12. Hill AP, Curran T (2016). Multidimensional perfectionism and burnout: A meta-analysis. Personal Soc Psychol Rev, 20(3):269-288.
13. Limburg K, Watson H, Hagger M, et al (2017). The relationship between perfec-tionism and psychopathology: A meta-analysis. J Clin Psychol, 73(10):1301-1326.
14. O'Connor RC, Rasmussen S, Hawton K (2010). Predicting depression, anxiety and self-harm in adolescents: The role of per-fectionism and acute life stress. Behav Res Ther, 48(1): 52–59.
15. Levine SL, Green-Demers I, Werner KM, et al (2019). Perfectionism in adolescents: Self-critical perfectionism as a predictor of depressive symptoms across the school year. Journal of Social and Clinical Psy-chology, 38(1):70-86.
16. Kim LE, Chen L, MacCann C, et al (2015). Evidence for three factors of perfection-ism: Perfectionistic Strivings, Order, and Perfectionistic Concerns. Pers Individ Dif, 84:16-22.
17. Sastre-Riba S, Perez-Albeniz A, Fonseca-Pedrero E (2016). Assessing perfection-ism in children and adolescents: Psy-chometric properties of the Almost Per-fect Scale Revised. Learning and Individual Differences, 49:386-392.
18. Zhang B, Cai T (2012). Using SEM to ex-amine the dimensions of perfectionism and investigate the mediating role of self-esteem between perfectionism and de-pression in China. Aust J Guid Couns, 22(1):44-57.
19. Nakano K (2009). Perfectionism, self-efficacy, and depression: Preliminary analysis of the Japanese version of the Almost Perfect Scale-Revised. Psychol Rep, 104(3):896-908.
20. Öngen DE (2010). The relationships be-tween adaptive and maladaptive perfec-tionism and aggression among Turkish adolescents. Aust J Guid Couns, 20(1):99-108.
21. Ashby JS, Kutchins CB, Rice KG (2008). Matches and mismatches: Partners, per-fectionism, and premarital adjustment. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 55(1):125-132.
22. De Azevedo MH, Soares MJ, Bos SC, et al (2009). Perfectionism and sleep disturb-ance. World J Biol Psychiatry, 10(3):225-233.
23. Rice KG, Van Arsdale AC (2010). Perfec-tionism, perceived stress, drinking to cope, and alcohol-related problems among college students. Journal of Counsel-ing Psychology, 57(4):439-450.
24. Black J, Reynolds WM (2013). Examining the relationship of perfectionism, depres-sion, and optimism: Testing for media-tion and moderation. Personality and Indi-vidual Differences, 54(3):426-431.
25. Klibert J, Lamis DA, Naufel K, et al (2015). Associations between perfectionism and generalized anxiety: Examining cognitive schemas and gender. Journal of Rational-Emotive & Cognitive-Behavior Therapy, 33(2):160-178.
26. Schweitzer RD, Hamilton TK (2002). Perfec-tionism and mental health in Australian University students: Is there a relation-ship? Journal of College Student Development, 43(5):684-695.
27. Landa CE, Bybee JA (2007). Adaptive ele-ments of aging: Self-image discrepancy, perfectionism, and eating problems. Dev Psychol, 43(1):83-93.
28. Chang EC (2000). Perfectionism as a predic-tor of positive and negative psychological outcomes: Examining a mediation model in younger and older adults. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 47(1):18-26.
29. Department of Human Services (2008). Vic-torian Population Health Survey 2007. Mel-bourne, Victoria: Department of Human Services.
30. Hooper D, Coughlan J, Mullen MR (2008). Structural equation modelling: Guidelines for determining model fit. Electron J Bus Res Methods, 6(1):53-60.
31. Childs J, Stoeber J (2010). Self-oriented, oth-er-oriented, and socially prescribed per-fectionism in employees: Relationships with burnout and engagement. J Work-place Behav Health, 25:269–281.
32. DiBartolo PM, Rendon MJ (2012). A critical examination of the construct of perfec-tionism and its relationship to mental health in Asian and African Americans using a cross-cultural framework. Clin Psy-chol Rev, 32(3):139-152.
| Files | ||
| Issue | Vol 50 No 11 (2021) | |
| Section | Original Article(s) | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.18502/ijph.v50i11.7576 | |
| Keywords | ||
| Judge Mental health Perfectionism Moderating effect China | ||
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How to Cite
1.
Kong W, Wang H, Zhang J, Shen D, Feng D. Perfectionism and Psychological Distress among Chinese Judges: Do Age and Gender Make a Difference?. Iran J Public Health. 2021;50(11):2219-2228.
