Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2009 Nov;38(6):803-13.
doi: 10.1080/15374410903259031.

Dysfunctional attitudes scale perfectionism: a predictor and partial mediator of acute treatment outcome among clinically depressed adolescents

Rachel H Jacobs  1 , Susan G Silva, Mark A Reinecke, John F Curry, Golda S Ginsburg, Christopher J Kratochvil, John S March
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Dysfunctional attitudes scale perfectionism: a predictor and partial mediator of acute treatment outcome among clinically depressed adolescents

Rachel H Jacobs et al. J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol. 2009 Nov.

Abstract

The effect of perfectionism on acute treatment outcomes was explored in a randomized controlled trial of 439 clinically depressed adolescents (12-17 years of age) enrolled in the Treatment for Adolescents with Depression Study (TADS) who received cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), fluoxetine, a combination of CBT and FLX, or pill placebo. Measures included the Children's Depression Rating Scale-Revised, the Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire-Grades 7-9, and the perfectionism subscale from the Dysfunctional Attitudes Scale (DAS). Predictor results indicate that adolescents with higher versus lower DAS perfectionism scores at baseline, regardless of treatment, continued to demonstrate elevated depression scores across the acute treatment period. In the case of suicidality, DAS perfectionism impeded improvement. Treatment outcomes were partially mediated by the change in DAS perfectionism across the 12-week period.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Change in Dysfunctional Attitudes Scale Perfectionism subscale scores (DAS) over 12 weeks of treatment. Note: Base = baseline; COMB = CBT and fluoxetine; FLX = fluoxetine; CBT = cognitive behavior therapy; PBO = pill placebo; Wk = week.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Children’s Depression Rating Scale–Revised (CDRS–R) total scores adjusted for Dysfunctional Attitudes Scale perfectionism change scores. Note: Base = baseline; COMB = CBT and fluoxetine; FLX = fluoxetine; CBT = cognitive behavior therapy; PBO = pill placebo; Wk = week.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
The Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire Grades 7–9 total score (SIQ-Jr) adjusted for Dysfunctional Attitudes Scale perfectionism change scores. Note: Base = baseline; COMB = CBT and fluoxetine; FLX = fluoxetine; CBT = cognitive behavior therapy; PBO = pill placebo; Wk = week.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Abramson LY, Metalsky GI, Alloy LB. Hopelessness depression: A theory-based subtype of depression. Psychological Review. 1998;96:358–372.
    1. Ackerson J, Scogin F, McKendree-Smith N, Lyman R. Cognitive bibliotherapy for mild and moderate adolescent depressive. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. 1998;66:685–690. - PubMed
    1. American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. 4th ed. Washington, DC: Author; 1994.
    1. Beck AT. Depression: Clinical, experimental and theoretical aspects. New York: Harper & Row; 1967.
    1. Blatt SJ, Ford RQ. Therapeutic change: An object relations perspective. New York: Plenum; 1994.

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources