A meta-analysis of parental multidimensional perfectionism and child psychological outcomes

Multidimensional perfectionism is a vulnerability factor for poor individual psychological well-being. Less is known about how parental perfectionism is associated with risk for poor child psychological outcomes. The aim of the current meta-analysis was to summarise the nature and magnitude of the association between dimensions of parental perfectionism (perfectionistic concerns; PC or perfectionistic strivings; PS) and child psychological outcomes. Fourteen studies (N = 2,721) met inclusion criteria. The random effects meta-analysis revealed a small, significant, and positive average association between parental PC and child distress when unadjusted, ravg = .153, CI [.08, .22], and when accounting for the contributions of parental PS, ravg = .164, CI [.08, .25]. Moderation analysis of the unadjusted effects found that they varied as a function of the perfectionism scale used, but were robust to differences in parent and child gender. For parental PS, there was a non-significant negative average association with child distress, ravg = -.049, CI [-.13, .04], which was significant after accounting for the contributions of parental PC, ravg = -.084, CI [-.15, -.02]. The current findings suggest that the differential links of perfectionism dimensions with psychological well-being extend to the parent-child relationship, and that parental PC creates vulnerability for child distress.