The relationship between perfectionism, cognitive rumination, mindfulness and mental health in music students at a South African university

Abstract

The increasing performance and academic demands within the tertiary setting, in conjunction with perfectionistic behaviour and ruminative thinking, may contribute towards mental health difficulties among music students. The current study explored the relationship between perfectionism, rumination, mindfulness and mental health in music students. Using a cross-sectional survey design, 72 university music students participated in the study. According to their self- report mental health status, the participants were clustered into self-report mental health (n = 26) and no mental health (n = 46) groups. The results revealed that anxiety and depression were the most prominent mental health issues. Essential correlations between perfectionistic concerns and brooding rumination emerged in both groups; however, the participants from the no mental health group displayed significant inverse associations between perfectionism and mindfulness (Pursuit of Perfection and Non-judging of Inner Experiences; Concern over Mistakes and Non-judging of Inner Experiences) which were not evident among the participants from the self-report mental health group. Moreover, significantly higher scores of perfectionistic concerns, brooding and reflective rumination were found among participants from the self-report mental health group compared to those from the no mental health group. The results provide valuable insights into the mental health status of music students.