The Mediating Role of Repetitive Negative Thinking in Relationship Between Negative Perfectionism and Severity of Anxiety Symptoms

Background: Anxiety disorders which influence physical and psychological strength and the quality of individual and social life are afflicting great numbers of people both in the modern developed societies and in underdeveloped ones. As two cases of transdiagnostic factors influencing a wide range of psychological disorders, especially anxiety disorders, repetitive thinking (RT) and perfectionism are now receiving greater attention from psychologists and psychotherapists. Objectives: The current study was an attempt to investigate the mediating role of RT in predicting the relationship between perfectionism and severity of anxiety. Materials and Methods: For this purpose, 385 students of Azerbaijan Shahid Madani University were selected using cluster random sampling and evaluated through the three inventories of depression and anxiety symptoms, repetitive thinking questionnaire (RTQ) and perfectionism questionnaires in 2015. Data were analyzed using SPSS software and hierarchical regression analysis. Results: Findings suggested that there were correlations among three variables of perfectionism, RT and anxiety; results also revealed that RT played a significant mediating role in predicting the relationship between perfectionism and anxiety. Conclusions: These findings can be an effective step toward designing plans to prevent different emotional disorders and treatment protocols.