Sarah J Egan

Curtin University · School of Population Health

Objective: Few studies have investigated the role of generic relational factors, such as group cohesion and working alliance, in group cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) for social anxiety disorder (SAD). The aim of this study was to examine the temporal associations among working alliance, group cohesion, and an index of a CBT-specific factor, hom...

It has been 21 years since the publication of the cognitive behavioural model of clinical perfectionism that underpins cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) for perfectionism. The notion of clinical perfectionism and CBT for perfectionism has been controversial. Despite 15 randomised controlled trials which have demonstrated the efficacy of CBT for per...

Background The selection of valid and reliable instruments for research and clinical purposes is needed to increase our understanding of the role that expectations of motherhood have in early identification and treatment of perinatal mental health difficulties. We aimed to identify and assess the psychometric properties of self-report measures of e...

Perfectionism has a strong association with eating disorders. Research in non-clinical adults has suggested that perfectionism has both direct and indirect effects on eating disorder symptoms, and that compulsive exercise is a potential mediator. The aim of this study was to understand whether perfectionism is associated with eating disorder sympto...

Objective Clinical perfectionism is associated with psychological distress, however, few studies have examined factors that moderate the relationship. Self-compassion is a useful construct to examine as it is a component of cognitive-behavioural treatment (CBT) for clinical perfectionism, and lower self-compassion is related to higher perfectionism...

Background and objectives Perfectionism is associated with the development and maintenance of anxiety, mood, and eating disorders. Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) results in significant reductions in perfectionism and psychological symptoms however, the majority of studies have not examined clinical samples or impact on diagnostic status and como...

Background and objectives Guided and unguided self-help prevention and treatment interventions for eating disorders delivered via traditional book format or internet delivery have been widely researched, but no reviews have focused specifically on young people. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to examine the efficacy of rando...

Perfectionism has a strong association with eating disorders, anxiety and depression. Unguided internet cognitive behaviour therapy for perfectionism has demonstrated efficacy in female adolescents without elevated eating disorder symptoms. No research to date has examined unguided internet cognitive behaviour therapy for perfectionism for adolesce...

Grief in young people is common and associated with symptoms of anxiety and depression, yet grief reduction interventions for this age group are under-researched. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine the efficacy of grief reduction interventions in young people. The process adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Syste...

Previous meta-analyses have found higher self-compassion is associated with lower anxiety and depression. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of self-compassion as an active ingredient in the treatment and prevention of anxiety and depression in youth. This was conducted through (i) a systematic review of the literature and (ii) q...

Objective The COVID-19 pandemic has had a severe impact on mental health. There is an urgent need to deliver low-intensity cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) tailored to mitigate the impacts of the pandemic. The aim was to engage in a qualitative study of participants’ views surrounding anxiety and depression during the pandemic and feedback on the...

Background: The present study aimed to test a model of perfectionism investigating parenting style, early maladaptive schemas and sensitivity to reinforcement theory. Methods: A general population sample (n=384), and a clinical sample consisting of individuals with major depressive disorder (n=40), social anxiety disorder (n=35), obsessive compulsi...

Background Meta-analyses show an association between perfectionism and depression and anxiety (negative affect), and that therapy for perfectionism impacts positively on negative affect. No systematic reviews have focused on qualitative studies of perfectionism. Aims Our aim was to perform a systematic, meta-synthesis of qualitative literature to...

Previous meta-analyses have found higher self-compassion is associated with lower anxiety and depression. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of self-compassion as an active ingredient in the treatment and prevention of anxiety and depression in youth. This was conducted through (i) a systematic review of the literature and (ii) q...

Background Perfectionism is a risk factor for depression and anxiety and is increasing in young people. It is important to understand the information that youth are exposed to about perfectionism on the internet and what may be required to make this more helpful in terms of accessing empirically supported descriptions and advice. Methods This rese...

Perfectionism is a transdiagnostic process across anxiety, depression, and eating disorders. The aim of this systematic review was to examine the efficacy of self-help and face to face CBT for perfectionism in reducing perfectionism and anxiety, depression, and eating disorders. A total of 15 randomised controlled trials of CBT for perfectionism we...

Background: Recent research suggests that a significant number of those who receive advanced treatments for Parkinson's disease (PD) do not report improvements for some symptoms, which may relate to their pre-treatment expectations. It is important that expectations of treatment are measured and discussed prior to advanced treatment. Objective:...

Binge eating and purging profiles may vary in adolescents with eating disorders and this may potentially be a function of a range of cognitive and behavioural constructs. The aim was to determine whether cognitive and behavioural symptoms differed among purging profiles in 229 adolescent females (M age = 15.45). Differences were examined in three b...

The current study investigated the impact of an 8-module internet-based cognitive behaviour therapy for perfectionism (ICBT-P) across a variety of perfectionism subscales. Undergraduate students who identified as having a problem with perfectionism were randomized to receive the intervention (n = 41), and were free to choose the number of treatment...

Background The aim was to create a German version of the Clinical Perfectionism Questionnaire (CPQ-D) and to test its factor structure, reliability, and validity in a non-clinical population. Method We recruited N = 432 participants via an online panel. The factor structure of CPQ-D was examined. The convergent, discriminative, and incremental val...

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a severe impact on mental health worldwide, with increased rates of anxiety and depression widely documented. The aim of this study was to examine unguided low intensity cognitive behaviour therapy for anxiety and depression during the pandemic. A sample of 225 individuals in Australia and the United Kingdom (M age 37....

Objective The validity of the transdiagnostic cognitive-behavioural model of eating disorders has been examined in adults, however there is limited examination in adolescents with eating disorders. The present study examined the direct and indirect relationships between eating disorder symptoms and the four maintaining processes: perfectionism, low...

Background Perfectionism is elevated across a range of psychopathologies and has shown to impede treatment outcomes. There is also evidence suggesting elevated perfectionism may contribute to the onset and maintenance of non-suicidal self-injury. There is a growing body of evidence suggesting that Internet-delivered cognitive-behavioural therapy fo...

The construct of perfectionism has been argued to consist of two factors, perfectionistic concerns and perfectionistic strivings. Though perfectionistic concerns are consistently associated with adverse outcomes, the evidence for perfectionistic strivings is mixed. Item cross-loadings of the two-factor model of perfectionism raise questions about w...

Background Internet-based cognitive behaviour therapy (ICBT) is a promising format for treating different psychiatric disorders. In addition, several clinical trials have found positive results when using it to target transdiagnostic processes, such as perfectionism. However, few qualitative investigations have been conducted on the experiences of...

Background: Perfectionism is a transdiagnostic risk factor across psychopathology. The Clinical Perfectionism Questionnaire (CPQ) was developed to assess change in order to provide clinical utility, but currently the psychometric properties of the CPQ with adolescents is unknown. Aims: To assess the factor structure and construct validity of the...

Measurement of compulsive exercise is important for the study of eating pathology in individuals who regularly participate in sport and exercise. The current study examined the factor structure, internal consistency and validity of the compulsive exercise test (CET) in regular exercisers. Participants were recruited via the internet and from sport...

Perfectionism is an important transdiagnostic risk factor for several psychopathologies. As such, treatments targeting perfectionism have gained increased attention over recent years. While perfectionism is postulated to be an important underlying mechanism for dysmorphic concern, no research has explored the benefits of targeting perfectionism to...

Background and objectives: Perfectionism is a transdiagnostic process that has been associated with a range of psychopathology and also with other transdiagnostic processes. We have previously shown that guided internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy (ICBT) can reduce symptoms of dysfunctional perfectionism, however, no impact was observed on...

The current study explored whether higher‐ (up to 8 modules) versus lower‐dose (3 or less modules) unguided internet Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for perfectionism (ICBT‐P) was more effective, and the best method to promote higher dosage. Two sequential randomised ICBT‐P studies were conducted with participants who self‐identified as having difficul...

Objective: The aim was to examine in children and adolescents with eating disorders the relationship between perfectionism, anxiety, and depression at intake assessment and whether intake perfectionism was significantly associated with anxiety and depression at 6 months and 12 months post-intake review. Method: Participants were 167 females aged...

Objective: Perfectionism is a risk factor for the development and maintenance of eating disorders. The objective of this study was to examine the efficacy of unguided Internet cognitive behaviour therapy for perfectionism (ICBT-P) as a treatment and prevention for perfectionism and symptoms of eating disorders, anxiety, depression and self-esteem...

Background and objectives: Perfectionism is associated with the development and maintenance of several disorders. Given the importance of perfectionism understanding the biased information processes that underpin it is critical. The present study tested the hypothesis that heightened concern over mistakes subscale scores of the Frost Multidimension...

Background: Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) has evidence of efficacy in a range of populations, but few studies to date have reported on MBCT for treatment of anxious and depressive symptoms in Parkinson's disease (PD). Aims: The aim of this study was to examine the efficacy of modified MBCT in reducing symptoms of anxiety and depress...

Objective Perfectionism is a transdiagnostic factor across eating disorders, anxiety, and depression. Previous research has shown anxiety mediates the relationship between perfectionism and eating disorders in adults. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between anxiety/depression, perfectionism and eating disorder symptoms in...

Objective Clinical perfectionism is involved in the etiology and maintenance of eating disorders. Limited research has examined the factor structure of the Clinical Perfectionism Questionnaire (CPQ) in clinical eating disorder samples. The aim of this research was to examine the validity and reliability of the CPQ in a mixed eating disorder sample....

Objectives: There is accumulating evidence that yoga and mindfulness meditation can alleviate symptoms of anxiety, although the mechanisms by which this occurs remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between yoga practice and self-reported anxiety as well as the potential mediating roles of mindfulness and emotion...

Perfectionism has been proposed as a transdiagnostic process that maintains depression and anxiety through shared cognitive and behavioral processes. The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of a brief, guided cognitive behavioral treatment (CBT) for perfectionism delivered via a self-help booklet in reducing perfectionism and symp...

Objective Clinical perfectionism has been found to be a risk and maintaining factor in eating disorders (EDs), compulsive exercise, and athlete burnout. This study investigated whether an unguided internet cognitive–behavioral treatment (ICBT) for perfectionism would reduce ED pathology, compulsive exercise, and burnout in individuals who engage in...

The Socratic Method is widely described as an important component in the delivery of cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT). However, there is a lack of clarity regarding the perceived role and importance of the Socratic Method in CBT. A brief questionnaire survey was completed by 15 expert CBT researchers to evaluate the perceived role and function of...

Objective: The link between perfectionism and eating disorders is well established in adults, however little research has been conducted in children and adolescents. The aim was to examine if perfectionism was a predictor of eating disorder symptoms at intake assessment, and 6 and 12 month review. Method: There were 175 children and adolescents...

Background: Perfectionism can become a debilitating condition that may negatively affect functioning in multiple areas, including mental health. Prior research has indicated that internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy can be beneficial, but few studies have included follow-up data. Objective: The objective of this study was to explore the o...

A pilot investigation of cognitive behavioural therapy for clinical perfectionism in obsessive compulsive disorder–CORRIGENDUM - S. K. Sadri, R. A. Anderson, P. M. McEvoy, R. T. Kane, S. J. Egan

The relationship between obsessive compulsive personality and obsessive compulsive disorder treatment outcomes: Predictive utility and clinically significant change – CORRIGENDUM - S. K. Sadri, P. M. McEvoy, S. J. Egan, R. T. Kane, C. S. Rees, A. Anderson

Background: Perfectionism can become a debilitating condition that may negatively affect functioning in multiple areas, including mental health. Prior research has indicated that internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy can be beneficial, but few studies have included follow-up data. Objective: The objective of this study was to explore the outc...

Objective: There are few evidence-based guidelines for inpatient pediatric eating disorders. The aim was to gain perspectives from those providing and receiving inpatient pediatric eating disorder care on the essential components treatment. Method: A modified Delphi technique was used to develop consensus-based opinions. Participants (N = 74) we...

Objective: The aim of the study was to compare the DSM-IV, DSM-5, and ICD-10 eating disorders (ED) nomenclatures to assess their value in the classification of pediatric eating disorders. We investigated the prevalence of the disorders in accordance with each system's diagnostic criteria, diagnostic concordance between the systems, and interrater...

Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) has been subject to numerous definition and classification changes, which has contributed to difficulties in reliable measurement of the disorder. Consequently, OCPD measures have yielded poor validity and inconsistent prevalence estimates. Reliable and valid measures of OCPD are needed. The aim of t...

Socratic Method is a style of inquiry used in cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) that encourages clients to reflect on their problems and draw conclusions from newly-gained insights. However, assumptions about the superior efficacy of Socratic Method over non-Socratic (didactic) approaches remain largely untested. The aim of this study was to comp...

Repetitive negative thinking and perfectionism have both been proposed as processes that are related to depressive symptoms. The purpose of this study was to investigate concurrent and prospective relationships between antenatal and postnatal depression, perfectionism, and repetitive negative thinking. A longitudinal design was used and 71 women we...

Objective: To investigate the quality of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of eating disorder prevention. Method: A systematic literature search was conducted in Medline, PsycINFO, Embase, Scopus, and the Cochrane Collaboration Library to January 2016. Studies were included if they were RCTs that tested an eating disorder prevention program. W...

An internet guided self-help cognitive-behavioural treatment (ICBT) for perfectionism was recently found to be effective (see this issue). Such studies stand in need of replication. The aim of this study was to report the outcomes and predictors of change when the treatment is delivered in a UK setting. A total of 120 people (Mean = 28.9 years; 79%...

Being highly attentive to details can be a positive feature. However, for some individuals, perfectionism can lead to distress and is associated with many psychiatric disorders. Cognitive behavior therapy has been shown to yield many benefits for those experiencing problems with perfectionism, but the access to evidence-based care is limited. The c...

Background: The evidence regarding whether co-morbid obsessive compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) is associated with treatment outcomes in obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is mixed, with some research indicating that OCPD is associated with poorer response, and some showing that it is associated with improved response. Aims: We sought to...

Background: Perfectionism is strongly associated with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Cognitive behavioural therapy for perfectionism (CBT-P) has been found to result in reductions in a range of symptoms in individuals with anxiety disorders, depression and eating disorders. Aim: To pilot-test the efficacy of group CBT for perfectionism in...

Perfectionism is known to be highly prevalent in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). This review seeks to explore perfectionism in OCD and related disorders, particularly in relation to treatment, in order to inform treating clinicians. We also evaluate the potential role of perfectionism in the maintenance of OCD. Evidence supports perfectionism...

Objective: The clinical significance of 2 main dimensions of perfectionism (perfectionistic strivings and perfectionistic concerns) was examined via a meta-analysis of studies investigating perfectionism in the psychopathology literature. Method: We investigated relationships between psychopathology outcomes (clinical diagnoses of depression, an...

Background: Perfectionism is elevated across, and increases risk for, a range of psychological disorders as well as having adirect negative effect on day-to-day function. A growing body of evidence shows that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) reducesperfectionism and psychological disorders, with medium to large effect sizes. Given the increased d...

Perfectionism is a risk and maintaining factor across psychopathology and has been proposed to be a transdiagnostic process. The aim of this study was to examine the reliability and validity of the Clinical Perfectionism Questionnaire (CPQ) in 32 adults (75% female, M age = 35.54 years, SD = 9.71) with a range of psychological disorders, presenting...

Objective: This systematic review evaluated the efficacy of universal, selective, and indicated eating disorder prevention. Method: A systematic literature search was conducted in Medline, PsycINFO, Embase, Scopus, and the Cochrane Collaboration Library databases to January 2016. Studies were included if they were randomized, controlled trials (...

Objective: The factor structure of the eating disorder examination (EDE) has never been tested in a clinical pediatric sample, and no normative data exist. Method: The factor structure of an adapted EDE was examined in a clinical sample of 665 females aged 9-17 years with anorexia nervosa spectrum (70%), bulimia nervosa spectrum (12%), purging d...

Compulsive exercising is the most common compensatory behaviour amongst children and adolescents with eating disorders. The Compulsive Exercise Test is a self-report measure that has been recently developed to assess the cognitive, behavioural and affective features of compulsive exercise. The aim of the current study was to validate the measure us...

Evidence is reviewed demonstrating that cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is effective in the treatment of depression and anxiety in Parkinson's disease. The aims were to review the extant literature, specify a model of cognitive and behavioral maintenance factors in depression and anxiety in Parkinson's disease and provide a guide to treatment. It...

The Socratic Method has been described as an important component of CBT interventions yet an empirical case for its use has not been made. The objective of this paper is to review the role of the Socratic Method in CBT in four stages. First, a review of the literature describes how the Socratic Method is applied and defined within CBT, with assumpt...

To examine the prevalence and importance of psychological, behavioural, and situational correlates of impending psychiatric inpatient admissions in children and adolescents with eating disorders. The sample consisted of 285 patients (8-17 years, M = 14.4, SD = 1.49) with DSM-5 eating disorders assessed between 2006 and 2013 from the Helping to Outl...

Perfectionism has been argued to have both positive and negative aspects. Negative perfectionism has a robust positive correlation with psychopathology. This study explored the personality pattern of a group of clinical participants and a group of athletes in relation to positive and negative perfectionism. The results indicated negative perfection...

Background: Clinical perfectionism is a risk and maintaining factor for anxiety disorders, depression and eating disorders. Aims: The aim was to examine the psychometric properties of the 12-item Clinical Perfectionism Questionnaire (CPQ). Method: The research involved two samples. Study 1 comprised a nonclinical sample (n = 206) recruited via...

The objective of this study was to evaluate the factor structure, validity, and reliability of the Compulsive Exercise Test (CET) in an adolescent clinical eating disorder population. The data source was the Helping to Outline Paediatric Eating Disorders (HOPE) Project, a prospective ongoing registry study comprising consecutive paediatric tertiary...

Eating disorders affect up to 3% of children and adolescents, with recovery often requiring specialist treatment. A substantial literature has accrued suggesting that lower access to health care services, experienced by rural populations, has a staggering effect on health-related morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to evaluate whethe...

Previous research has shown cognitive-behavioural treatment (CBT) to be effective in reducing perfectionism. The present study investigated the efficacy of two formats of CBT for perfectionism (CBT-P), face-to-face and pure online self-help, in reducing perfectionism and associated psychological symptoms. Participants were randomly allocated to fac...

Inferential confusion is an under-researched faulty reasoning process in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Based on an overreliance on imagined possibilities, it shares similarities with the extensively researched construct of thought-action fusion (TAF). While TAF has been proposed as a specific subset of the broader construct of magical thinki...

Objective Given the importance of assessing depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation in adolescents with eating disorders (EDs), the aim was to provide normative data on the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) for female adolescents presenting for treatment of an ED.Method The data source was the Helping to Outline Paediatric Eating Disorders (H...