Open Access

ARTICLE

Perfectionism and Sleep Quality of College Students: A Moderated Mediation Model of Rumination and Mindfulness

So Sophia Lau¹, Wenshan Fu^2,3, Yulin Jiang^4,*
1 School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
2 Division of Social Science, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
3 College of Education for the Future, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai, China
4 School of Management, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
* Corresponding Author: Yulin Jiang. Email:
(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Cognitive and Metacognitive Pathways to Mental Health Promotion: Prevention, Resilience, and Well-Being)

International Journal of Mental Health Promotion https://doi.org/10.32604/ijmhp.2026.085243

Received 07 May 2026; Accepted 25 June 2026; Published online 15 July 2026

Abstract

Objective: Although perfectionism has been identified as a correlate of poor sleep quality, the cognitive mechanisms that explain this association and the conditions under which it is amplified or attenuated remain underexplored, particularly in non-Western samples. Drawing on the integrative model of sleep processes, the present study examined whether rumination mediates the longitudinal relation between perfectionism and sleep quality, and whether dispositional mindfulness moderates this mediating pathway. Methods: A total of 437 Chinese college students (51.0% female; Mean_age = 18.46 years, SD = 2.55) participated in a two-wave time-lagged study with a six-month interval between assessments. At Time 1, perfectionism and mindfulness were assessed using the Hewitt Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (HMPS) and Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), respectively. At Time 2, rumination and sleep quality were assessed using the Ruminative Responses Scale (RRS) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), respectively. Results: Hierarchical regression and moderated mediation analyses revealed that Time 1 perfectionism was associated with poorer Time 2 sleep quality after controlling for gender, age, and negative affect. This association was mediated by Time 2 rumination, and the direct association between perfectionism and sleep quality became nonsignificant after rumination was included. The first stage of the mediation pathway was further moderated by Time 1 mindfulness: the positive association between perfectionism and rumination was substantially weaker among students with higher levels of mindfulness. Conclusions: These findings clarify how and when perfectionism contributes to sleep difficulties in young adulthood, and point to mindfulness-based interventions as a promising avenue for buffering perfectionism-related sleep problems.

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Keywords

Perfectionism; sleep quality; rumination; mindfulness; moderated mediation model

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