The present study investigated the associations among perfectionism, various forms of childhood maltreatment, and depression in adulthood. A sample of 170 female students completed measures of perfectionism, autonomy, sociotropy, childhood maltreatment, parental neglect, and depression. Analyses revealed that emotional abuse was correlated with socially prescribed perfectionism, perfectionism cognitions, perfectionistic self-presentation, concern over mistakes, parental criticism, sociotropy, autonomy, and depression. Also, measures of parental neglect were associated with socially prescribed perfectionism, perfectionistic self-presentation, concern over mistakes, parental criticism, autonomy, and depression. Tests of moderator effects showed that socially prescribed perfectionism interacted with emotional abuse to predict depression. Additional results indicated that dimensions of perfectionism, sociotropy, and autonomy mediated the association between emotional abuse and depression. Overall, the results suggest that childhood maltreatment contributes to the development of personality styles associated with vulnerability to depression. The practical and theoretical implications of these findings are discussed.
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