Academic success can lead to the “vicious circle” of perfectionism and foster anxiety that can lead to depression.
- School anxiety would come from the grading system and the speeches of parents and teachers who harp on that they are the ones who will dictate their future.
- The vast majority of teenagers who regularly get very good grades would eventually develop an unhealthy degree of perfectionism.
- Parents must play the role of minesweeper and explain to children that no one is demanding academic perfection from them.
The school is perceived by some students with a lot of pressure to succeed. This can lead to a constant pursuit of perfection which leads to anxiety and depressive symptoms as revealed in a study published September 9 in theInternational Journal of Behavioral Development.
The pressure of his future
School anxiety would come from the grading system and the speeches of parents and teachers who harp on that they are the ones who will dictate their future. “High academic achievement is praised and celebrated around the worldabounds Dr. Tracy Vaillancourt, researcher at the University of Ottawa in Canada and lead author of the study. Doing well in middle school and high school is linked to future academic opportunities that increase job prospects and income. There’s a lot at stake and the teens are feeling the pressure. ”
The study authors followed 604 Canadian teenagers from early middle school through high school. They examined the relationship between academic achievement and perfectionism, which they defined as a “mismatched personality style” involving self-imposed high standards that are linked to the development of anxiety and depression.
The pursuit of perfection gets worse with age
Researchers have found that the vast majority of teens who consistently get high grades eventually develop an unhealthy degree of perfectionism. Overall, the researchers say good grades predicted higher perfectionism. The two elements feed off each other, allowing the student to always get excellent grades but leading to degrading his mental health.
“Although getting good grades seems fine on the surface, its link to increased perfectionism is concerning because high perfectionism often leads to higher school burnout, lower school engagement, and increased anxiety and depression.says Dr. Tracy Vaillancourt. As much as it is pleasant to do well and to be praised for it, young people must accept that achieving perfection is not possible. It’s important for them to understand that everyone has strengths and weaknesses, and that’s what makes us human.”
Nobody is perfect
For the authors of the study, important work must be done on the part of parents to make their children recognize that no one is asking them for academic perfection. “Avoid putting pressure on young people to be perfect and instead acknowledge their successes, even small ones, and their effortsconcludes Dr. Vaillancourt. Not achieving perfection doesn’t mean you’re a failure.”
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