Perfectionism, Academic Stress, Worry, and Rumination

Something important is finally shifting in Philippine schools—and it’s long overdue. With the growing concerns about bullying, emotional exhaustion, and school-related trauma, the Department of Education (DepEd) has begun taking critical steps through the newly enacted Basic Education Mental Health and Well-Being Promotion Act. This law enables the establishment of mental health offices across high-need areas, aiming to provide professional support by assigning guidance counselors, building wellness centers, and setting up helplines. In schools like Rizal High School, where a single counselor serves over 12,000 students, this reform could not be more urgent.

However, amid the visible struggles—violence, isolation, and external pressures—lurks a quieter but equally harmful challenge: the internal toll of perfectionism, academic stress, chronic worry, and rumination. These psychological forces silently weigh down students, creating cycles of self-criticism, sleepless nights, and burnout. Many young learners are not just battling schoolwork—they’re battling themselves. With DepEd’s intensified mental health initiatives, the moment is right to spotlight these hidden stressors. Addressing them is no longer a luxury. It’s a necessity—for both educational outcomes and student well-being.

Who Can Use These Topics

This research is ideal for students and professionals pursuing the following courses or strands:

College Programs:

• BS in Psychology

• BS in Education major in Guidance and Counseling

• BS in Social Work

• BA in Behavioral Sciences

• BS in Nursing (with focus on Mental Health Nursing)

• BS in Human Resource Development and Management (for training/student wellness design)

Senior High School Strands:

• Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS)

• General Academic Strand (GAS)

Why This Topic Needs Research

As perfectionism and academic stress rise among students, the psychological consequences grow more serious—yet many questions remain unanswered. Here's what the gaps reveal:

• Lack of robust causal modeling: Most studies used cross-sectional or shortitudinal designs, which limited their ability to trace how perfectionism and rumination evolve over time. Philpot and Donachie (2024) recommended multi-wave longitudinal research using structural equation modeling to better establish causality in psychological distress patterns.

• Missing mechanisms in stress generation: While the link between perfectionism and interpersonal stress is clear, the processes driving it—particularly maladaptive coping—are still underexplored. Abdulcebbar and Altan-Atalay (2025) called for studies that examine coping behaviors to understand how students internalize and manifest academic and social stress.

• Undervalued moderators of suicidal ideation: Research has identified perfectionism as a risk factor for suicidal thoughts, but self-esteem, loneliness, and rumination were often excluded as influencing variables. Niels-Kessels et al. (2024) urged further research across clinical and non-clinical populations to clarify these relationships.

• Limited understanding of perfectionism’s roots in Filipino culture: Sanchez et al. (2025) emphasized that few studies explored how family expectations and collectivist values shape perfectionism and stress in Filipino students, leaving a significant cultural blind spot in local research.

• Exclusion of real-world variables affecting affective symptoms: Existing models have rarely considered how factors like e-learning environments, sleep habits, or existing disorders influence outcomes like anxiety or depression. Gil et al. (2023) stressed the importance of integrating these variables into future predictive frameworks.

• Neglected distinctions between adaptive and maladaptive perfectionism: Many studies grouped all perfectionism into one construct, overlooking how its positive and negative forms can differently affect burnout. Ijaz & Khalid (2020) recommended deeper analysis of how each type contributes to academic fatigue and disengagement.

• Inadequate generalizability from small samples: Most research was conducted in single institutions with small sample sizes. Tan (2023) noted the need to expand sampling across schools and universities to enhance relevance and to validate findings in diverse educational settings.

Feasibility & Challenges by Target Group

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References

Abdulcebbar, A., & Altan-Atalay, A. (2025). The relationship between perfectionism and stress generation: the moderating role of looming cognitive style. Current Psychology, 1-9.

Donachie, T. C., & Philpot, N. Perfectionism and Psychological Distress of University Students: The Role of Mistake Rumination. (2025). Available at SSRN 5098650.

Gil, T. C., Obando, D., García-Martín, M. B., & Sandoval-Reyes, J. (2023). Perfectionism, academic stress, rumination and worry: a predictive model for anxiety and depressive symptoms in university students from Colombia. Emerging Adulthood, 11(5), 1091-1105.

Ijaz, T., & Khalid, A. (2020). Perfectionism and academic burnout: the mediating role of worry and depressive rumination in university students. Pakistan Journal of Psychological Research, 35(3), 473-492.

Niels-Kessels, H., Stikkelbroek, Y. A., Vermulst, A. A., van Bentum, J. S., Driessen, E. M., Spijker, J., ... & Creemers, D. H. (2025). Perfectionism and suicidal ideation in outpatient depressed adults: The moderating role of self-esteem, loneliness and rumination. Journal of Rational-Emotive & Cognitive-Behavior Therapy, 43(1), 1-20.

Sanchez, K. D., Cabaron, F. I., Dela, J., Cruz, G. J. I., Nufable, J. M., & Somera, J. T. (2025). Perfectionism Predicts Perceived Stress Among Filipino College Students. North American Journal of Psychology, 27(1), 25-34.

Tan, J. S. T. (2023). The mediating role of self-compassion in the relationship between trait perfectionism and psychological resilience among Filipino university students. Cogent Psychology, 10(1), 2168424.

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