• Michelle A Clementi, Laura S Gray, Samantha P Bento, Kelsey Jervis, Angela A Fletcher, Kelsey Borner, and Edin T Randall.
• Departments of Psychiatry & Pediatrics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and Children's Hospital Colorado.
• J Pediatr Psychol. 2021 Jun 3; 46 (5): 570-577.

ObjectiveConceptual links between perfectionism and chronic pain have been proposed yet minimal empirical data exists. Poor sleep is associated with high levels of perfectionism and is common among youth with chronic pain. This study explores associations between perfectionism and sleep quality in adolescents with chronic pain while considering levels of functional disability.MethodsAdolescents (ages 12-18) with chronic pain (N = 423) completed baseline measures of self-oriented perfectionism (SOP), socially prescribed perfectionism (SPP), sleep quality, and functional disability as part of routine clinical care at an outpatient chronic pain clinic and a pain rehabilitation day treatment program. Multivariate multiple regression assessed associations between perfectionism (SOP and SPP) and sleep (falling asleep/reinitiating sleep, returning to wakefulness, and going to bed). Two moderation models explored how relations between perfectionism (SOP and SPP) and sleep quality (total score) varied depending on level of functional disability. All analyses controlled for clinic setting.ResultsResults indicated SPP was associated with more difficulties across all sleep subdomains in adolescents with chronic pain, while SOP was unrelated to sleep quality. Associations between perfectionism and sleep quality were dependent on functional disability; perfectionism was most strongly associated with worse sleep quality for adolescents with less functional disability.ConclusionsThis study highlights the relationship between perfectionism and sleep quality in adolescents with chronic pain and suggests that perfectionistic youth with less disability are at the greatest risk for sleep problems. Longitudinal research is needed to understand how perfectionism, sleep, and disability interact over time in youth with chronic pain.© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Pediatric Psychology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

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