Personalized feedback to improve coping and emotions related to perfectionism
Official title: Perfectionism and Daily Stress, Coping, and Well-Being: Testing an Explanatory Feedback Intervention
Run by McGill University · NCT06625151 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project tests whether a single 45–60 minute personalized feedback session can help university students with high self-critical perfectionism improve daily coping, stress reactions, and mood.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years to 65 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 200 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | McGill University Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Montreal, Quebec) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | October 23, 2024 |
| Main results expected | May 2027 |
| Study ends | May 2027 |
| Registry record updated | October 6, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT06625151 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
University students who score at least 0.5 standard deviations above sample means on two or more brief self-criticism/perfectionism measures and who do not have untreated clinical depression or anxiety are ideal candidates.
✕Probably not a fit
People with active, untreated depressive or anxiety disorders, those without elevated self-critical perfectionism, or those unwilling to complete the seven-day diary are unlikely to benefit.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
Researchers will prescreen university students for elevated self-critical perfectionism and exclude those with untreated clinical depression or anxiety. Eligible participants complete online daily diaries for seven days about stress, coping, and mood, and their responses are analyzed to create an individualized slideshow. Participants receive one 45–60 minute explanatory feedback intervention (one of two approaches) delivered by a trained student research assistant. Outcomes focus on changes in daily stress reactivity, coping effectiveness, and negative and positive affect.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If effective, the intervention could reduce negative mood and improve daily coping for students with high self-critical perfectionism.
How similar studies have gone: Prior daily-diary research links perfectionism, coping, and mood, and small waitlist-controlled feasibility work has suggested this personalized feedback approach is promising but not yet proven in larger trials.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Individuals potentially interested in participating will be prescreened for levels of SC perfectionism and negative and positive mood. Inclusion Criteria: * Included in the study will be students who score 0.5 standard deviation above the mean score on two or more of four brief \[4- or 5-item\] measures of SC perfectionism (DEQ self-criticism, FMPS concern over mistakes, HMPS socially prescribed perfectionism, and APS-R discrepancy) for previous student samples Exclusion Criteria: * Individuals who meet the criteria for a diagnosis of depression or anxiety disorders and who do not have concomitant mental health care will be excluded from the study. * Participants will be excluded if they fail to complete any of the Time 1 measures, or seven days of the daily diary procedure.
Where it's running
-
McGill University
Montreal, Quebec, Canada Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: David Dunkley, Ph.D. — McGill University
- Study coordinator: David Dunkley, Ph.D.
- Email: david.dunkley@mcgill.ca
- Phone: 514.340.8222
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.