Relationship between subtypes of obsessive-compulsive symptomatology and those of perfectionism in adolescents

The objective of this study was to analyze the relationships between types of obsessive-compulsive symptomatology and dimensions of perfectionism (self-oriented or socially prescribed) in adolescents. The sample consisted of 326 adolescents (12-18 years old), 180 boys and 146 girls. Overall, adolescents with more obsessive-compulsive symptoms had higher levels of perfectionism. Checking, obsession and order subtypes were the most associated dimensions with both dimensions of perfectionism, order showing a higher relationship with self-oriented perfectionism. Similarly, female gender was a significant predictor for the presence of obsessive-compulsive symptoms in general and in all subtypes, except neutralization. We suggest that the different degrees of association between dimensions of obsessive-compulsive symptomatology and perfectionism, and gender differences in adolescents can be of interest to design more effective intervention programs.