Abstract
Tertiary studies offer significant opportunities for personal and academic development but are often accompanied by challenges such as shifting priorities and increased responsibilities. Difficulty in managing these demands can lead to emotional difficulties and long-term psychological issues, including anxiety and depression. Among university students, perfectionism has been identified as a key contributor to the development of psychological distress. In contrast, resilience, defined by adaptive cognitive styles, has been shown to buffer against stress and reduce the risk of psychological distress. This study sought to explore the relationships between perfectionism, psychological distress, and resilience among South African university students, with a particular focus on the role of resilience as a mediator between perfectionism and psychological distress. A cross-sectional, explanatory, quantitative design was employed, using a survey that comprised the Self-Assessment Perfectionism Screening Test, the College Academic Perfectionism Scale, the Perceived Stress Scale, and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale. The survey was administered to 100 education and educational psychology students. The findings revealed significant relationships between perfectionism, psychological distress, and resilience. Specifically, overall academic perfectionism was positively associated with psychological distress and negatively associated with resilience, while resilience showed a strong inverse correlation with psychological distress. Notably, self-oriented academic perfectionism demonstrated a positive correlation with resilience. Multiple regression analysis confirmed that resilience acted as a mediator in the relationship between perfectionism and psychological distress, reinforcing its role as a protective factor. In conclusion, this study highlights the intricate interplay between perfectionism, resilience, and psychological distress, emphasising the critical role of resilience in mitigating the adverse effects of perfectionism on mental health. These findings suggest that interventions designed to strengthen resilience may be vital for reducing psychological distress in university students, particularly those prone to perfectionistic tendencies.
Keywords: perfectionism, psychological distress, resilience, university students, South Africa