The Dual Mediating Effect of Resilience and Grit in the Relationship Between Socially Prescribed Perfectionism and Burnout of Psychological Counselors

Objectives This study aims to examine the mediating effects of resilience and grit in the relationship between socially prescribed perfectionism and burnout among psychological counselors. Methods Data were collected from 340 psychological counselors nationwide during the second week of July 2024, over approximately one week. SPSS PROCESS Macro Model 4 was used to test whether resilience and grit individually had significant mediating effects in the relationship between socially prescribed perfectionism and counselor burnout. Additionally, Bootstrapping analysis using Macro Model 6 was conducted to verify whether resilience and grit sequentially mediated this relationship. Results Significant positive and negative correlations were observed among socially prescribed perfectionism, resilience, grit, and counselor burnout. Resilience and grit were found to have significant partial mediating effects as individual mediators in the relationship between socially prescribed perfectionism and counselor burnout. Furthermore, resilience and grit sequentially demonstrated partial mediating effects in this relationship. Conclusions This study analyzed the relationships among socially prescribed perfectionism, resilience, grit, and burnout in psychological counselors and verified the mediating effects of these variables. The findings suggest the need for multifaceted approaches and interventions to effectively prevent burnout in psychological counselors. Notably, enhancing resilience and grit plays a critical role, emphasizing the necessity of developing resilience training programs and providing support for long-term goal-setting for psychological counselors.