The relationship between physical appearance perfectionism on subthreshold depression in college students: the role of gender and fear of negative evaluation

These results underscore the detrimental effects of appearance-related perfectionism in the context of Chinese cultural norms. The study highlights the importance of addressing both physical appearance perfectionism and fear of negative evaluation in mental health interventions for college students. Educational institutions, families, and society should implement strategies to promote healthy body image perceptions and mitigate the impact of negative evaluation fears. Furthermore, our findings emphasize the need to consider gender-specific approaches, as social expectations and gender role differentiation appear to influence the psychological mechanisms underlying subthreshold depression.