Apparently, yes.  According a recent article in Scientific American:

Perfectionists, research shows, can become easily discouraged by failing to meet impossibly high standards, making them reluctant to take on new challenges or even complete agreed-upon tasks. The insistence on dotting all the i’s can also breed inefficiency, causing delays, work overload and even poor results. Perfectionism can hurt health and re lationships, too. It is associated with anorexia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, social anxiety, writer’s block, alcoholism and depression. Such problems may be prevalent: a 2007 study that evaluated more than 1,500 college students revealed that nearly one quarter of them suffered from an unhealthy form of perfectionism.  read full article

This is not to say that striving to perform your best is unhealthy. But it may be detrimental if it’s getting in the way of your actual ability to succeed.  If you are a Wesleyan student who feels you are suffering ill effects from your own perfectionism, the Office of Behavioral Health for Students can offer you free and confidential assistance. Call 860.685.2910 for an appointment.

Tags: emotional health, perfectionism, stress