Giftedness, anxiety and perfectionism: family structure, Dabrowski's overexcitabilities and real-life strategies

Abstract

Children who are often identified as gifted are frequently thought to be blessed to have the label, however perfectionistic tendencies and anxieties habitually occur. This project examines literature focusing on the frequency and commonality of these propensities and the importance of teachers and parents dealing with this population and their unconventional, and sometimes damaging behavior. While mental illness is explored in the articles and discussed in this paper, it is not the main focus of the study. The articles support the higher tendency of gifted children and adolescents to suffer from anxiety and perfectionism. These results are substantiated by Dimensions of Perfectionism and Dabrowski's overexcitabilities' presence in gifted students. Keywords: gifted children, giftedness, adolescence, anxiety, perfectionism, overexcitabilities