The Effects of Perfectionism on Psychological Well-Being in Sport and Performance Psychology Professionals

Research on how perfectionism impacts athletes has been of great interest over the last 2 decades. However, no research has explored how perfectionism influences well-being in sport and performance psychology (SPP) professionals. Thus, this study aimed to examine the relationship between 81 SPP professionals’ perfectionism and their psychological well-being (PWB). Results indicated that discrepancy, defined as the perception of failing to meet one’s high standards or expectations, had strong, significant, and negative correlations to overall PWB, r (81) = .731, p < .01, and four components of PWB (i.e., autonomy, environmental mastery, positive relations with others, and self-acceptance). Furthermore, discrepancy accounted for 52.2% of the variance in self-acceptance, F (1, 80) = 86.381, p < .001, r 2 = .522, and 53.5% of the variance in overall PWB, F (1, 80) = 90.778, p < .001, r 2 = .535. The findings provide a better understanding of the impact of perfectionism on SPP professionals.