Are Perfectionistic Thoughts an Antecedent or a Consequence of Depressive Symptoms? A Cross-Lagged Analysis of the Perfectionism Cognitions Inventory

Perfectionistic automatic thoughts have been linked with depressive symptoms in numerous cross-sectional studies, but this link has not been assessed in longitudinal research. An investigation with two timepoints was conducted to test whether perfectionistic automatic thoughts, as assessed by the Perfectionism Cognitions Inventory (PCI), are contributors to subsequent depression or vice versa. The possible role of a third factor (major life...