New findings from the long-running Family Foundations of Youth Development project reveal that while cultural shifts and parental behaviors are driving a global increase in toxic perfectionism, high levels of family religious practice may provide a protective layer for adolescents facing mental health challenges.
Longitudinal Study Scope and Methods
The Family Foundations of Youth Development project, which began in 2016, has tracked the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health of thousands of participants across Utah, Arizona, and California. According to a research update from the BYU Religious Studies Center, the study utilizes a longitudinal design, surveying the same individuals every two years to examine cause and effect in adolescent development.
Principal Investigator Justin Dyer and his team have collected data through multiple waves, including a 2018 recruitment of youth in Utah and Arizona, a 2020 expansion to include participants in California, and a fourth wave of data collection completed in 2022. The project has grown to include over 3,600 total participants, consisting of both adolescents and their parents, with researchers intentionally oversampling Latter-day Saints to compare religious experiences with those from other faith traditions or no faith tradition.
Impact of Religion and Family Dynamics
The research has identified specific links between family dynamics and mental health outcomes. The Religious Studies Center reported that youth, particularly boys, who experience both high levels of family religious practices and high levels of father-positive parenting demonstrated the lowest levels of depression. Conversely, the study found that when mothers were verbally hostile but family religious practices remained high, youth felt a particular sense of abandonment by God.
Furthermore, researchers noted that between the ages of 12 and 14, adolescents experiencing high shame, low church support, or low family flexibility were more likely to see an increase in suicidal thoughts over the following two years. The project's findings have been presented to various organizations within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, including the Priesthood and Family Department and the General Young Men and Young Women’s Presidencies.
Defining Toxic Perfectionism
While religious activity plays a role, researchers are also examining the rising tide of toxic perfectionism. As detailed in BYU Studies, toxic perfectionism occurs when individuals demand perfection and become highly critical of themselves or others, turning mistakes into sources of shame and self-hatred. This is distinct from healthy perfectionism, which involves setting high goals and striving for rewards while remaining flexible and constructive when setbacks occur.
Scholars identify three primary types of toxic perfectionism: self-oriented, other-oriented, and socially prescribed. Self-oriented, or discrepancy perfectionism, involves individuals setting irrationally high standards and focusing on the gap between their performance and those goals, often leading to feelings of being 'unlovable.' Other-oriented perfectionism occurs when individuals demand perfection from those around them, often damaging relationships with employees, children, or partners. Socially prescribed perfectionism is characterized by a belief that one must be perfect to gain the approval of others.
Cultural and Parental Drivers
The increase in perfectionism is not occurring in isolation; it parallels a dramatic rise in anxiety and depression among young adults internationally over the last decade. Researchers Thomas Curran and Andrew P. Hill have identified cultural drivers for this trend, including the rise of 'competitive individualism' and the 'doctrine of meritocracy,' where success is viewed as the result of individual effort competing for limited resources.
Parental influence also serves as a critical factor. According to research published in BYU Studies, parents may contribute to toxic perfectionism through three main avenues: modeling perfectionistic patterns themselves, interacting with children in ways that require achievement to experience love and connection, or using coercive and neglectful parenting styles that lead children to use perfectionism as a way to gain control.
Future Research Directions
Despite the risks, researchers emphasize that perfectionism is not solely determined by genetics. While inborn personality traits influence susceptibility, these traits develop within a relational context. The study suggests that parenting can shape a child's genetically based tendencies, either strengthening or mitigating the likelihood of developing perfectionistic traits.
As the project moves forward, researchers plan to conduct face-to-face interviews, including via Zoom, to provide in-depth qualitative data to complement their large-scale survey findings. This effort aims to better understand how to stem the tide of mental health difficulties currently affecting adolescents and young adults.
