DEMORALIZATION DURING ADOLESCENCE: THE ROLE OF PERFECTIONISM AND SOCIAL SUPPORT

Demoralization is conceptually distinct from depression, yet little attention has been paid to understanding demoralization and its underlying factors. Furthermore, existing studies on demoralization primarily concentrate on clinical populations and patients, neglecting its prevalence and detrimental impact on the general populations. Considering adolescents’ susceptibility to demoralization when confronted with identity challenges, the present study investigated the influence of perfectionism and perceived social support on demoralization among 537 adolescents in Taiwan. The high school students responded to a hardcopy questionnaire consisting of the Mandarin version of the Demoralization Scale, Bi-mode Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale, and Multidimensional Perceived Social Support Scale. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed several key findings: a) lower demoralization level in Senior 2 students than their juniors, b) positive relationship between maladaptive perfectionism and demoralization, and c) negative association of adaptive perfectionism and perceived social support to demoralization. The present study not only extends the literature on demoralization to ordinary adolescents but also offers empirical support to the buffering effect of adaptive perfectionism and perceived social support. These findings provide a valuable foundation for future research aiming at mechanisms underlying the buffering effect of adaptive perfectionism and perceived social support on demoralization.