Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the association between binge-eating behaviors and depressive symptoms, with a focus on the aggravating effects of socially prescribed perfectionism in adolescents. A total of 584 high school students (305 males and 279 females) in three high schools located in the Gyeongsang region were surveyed using the Child and Adolescent Perfectionism Scale (CAPS), the Depression Symptom Scale (CES-D), and the Korean version of the Eating Attitudes Test-26 (KEAT-26). The collected data were analyzed using STATA 15.0 and the findings are as follows: Firstly, the severity of binge eating was associated with depressive symptoms. Adolescents with greater binge eating had a 1.67 times higher risk of depressive symptoms compared to those with lower levels. Secondly, the interaction between binge eating and socially prescribed perfectionism increased the severity of depressive symptoms by 2.06 times. The findings indicate that the depressive symptoms may be amplified by the interaction between binge eating behaviors and socially prescribed perfectionism. Based on these results, the importance of intervention in preventing depressive symptoms attributed to binge eating in adolescents was discussed, along with clinical approaches to intervene in this issue.