# Perfectionism Mediates the Relationship Between Parental Expectations and Adolescent Depressive Symptoms

## TL;DR

This study explores how parental expectations relate to perfectionism and depressive symptoms in Nigerian adolescents, finding that perfectionism mediates this relationship.

## Contribution

The study provides novel insights into the relationship between parental expectations, perfectionism, and depressive symptoms in the Global South.

## Key findings

- Parental academic expectations were positively linked to personal standards and concern over mistakes.
- Personal standards fully mediated the negative relationship between parental expectations and depressive symptoms.
- Concern over mistakes partially mediated the relationship between parental expectations and depressive symptoms.

## Abstract

A significant body of research worldwide has examined how parents who set high expectations may increase adolescents’ risk of developing perfectionistic traits. However, studies exploring this relationship in the Global South are almost nonexistent. This study investigated how adolescents perceived parental expectations related to perfectionism and depressive symptoms among Nigerian adolescents. Participants completed the Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (FMPS), the Living Up to Parental Expectation Scale—Academic (LPE), and Beck’s Depression Inventory. Parental academic expectations were positively associated with personal standards and concern over mistakes, but parental expectations were negatively associated with depressive symptoms. Further analysis revealed that personal standards fully mediated the negative relationship between parental academic expectations on adolescents’ depressive symptoms. In contrast, concern over mistakes partially mediated the relationship between parental academic expectations and depressive symptoms. In contrast to previous research, parental academic expectations were associated with fewer depressive symptoms among Nigerian adolescents through indirect relationships with perfectionistic traits.