Dr Marianne Etherson
- Research Associate (Mental Health & Wellbeing)
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0339-2324Biography
Marianne Etherson, Ph.D. is a Research Associate in the School of Health and Wellbeing. Her research interests include examining the relationship between perfectionism and mental health outcomes. Marianne also specializes in suicide prevention research and is a member of the Suicide Behaviour Research Laboratory led by Professor Rory O'Connor. Within her role, Marianne works on the Digital Youth programme, is a project supervisor to postgraduate students of the Global Mental Health MSc programme, and works within the Academic Advisory Group to the National Suicide Prevention Leadership Group of the Scottish Government.
Marianne obtained her PhD in Personality and Social Psychology in 2023 from York St John University. Her PhD focused on understanding why perfectionism contributes to mental health outcomes (i.e., depressive symptoms and suicide ideation). Prior to this Marianne completed a Masters of Research Degree in Health and Wellbeing in 2017 and an undergraduate degree in Sport and Exercise Science in 2016 both from the University of Bath. Marianne has a particular interest in communicating research for lay audiences and is currently a blogger for Psychology Today.
Research interests
- Perfectionism
- Mental health
- Suicide prevention
- Interpersonal relationships
- Social media
- Body image
- Young people
Publications
2025
Wyllie, J. M., Robb, K. A. , Sandford, D., Etherson, M. E. , Belkadi, N. and O'Connor, R. C. (2025) Suicide-related stigma and its relationship with help-seeking, mental health, suicidality and grief: a scoping review. BJPsych Open, 11(2), e60. (doi: 10.1192/bjo.2024.857) (PMID:40116563)
Etherson, M. E. , Hill, A. P., Grugan, M. C., Madigan, D. J. and Smith, M. M. (2025) Development and validation of the Perfectionism Literacy Questionnaire. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, (doi: 10.1177/07342829241313089) (Early Online Publication)
2024
Bourgaize, J. et al. (2024) What guidance is needed by academics who collaborate with digital companies to improve youth mental health? Child and Adolescent Mental Health, (Accepted for Publication)
Etherson, M. E. , Smith, M. M., Hill, A. P., Sherry, S. B., Curran, T., Flett, G. L. and Hewitt, P. L. (2024) Perfectionism, feelings of not mattering, and suicide ideation: an integrated test of the Perfectionism Social Disconnection Model and the Existential Model of Perfectionism. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 42(6), pp. 725-742. (doi: 10.1177/07342829241237421)
Etherson, M. E. , Rizeq, J. and O’Connor, R. C. (2024) Perfectionism, Social Factors, and Suicide Ideation: A test of the Integrated Motivational-Volitional Model of Suicidal Behaviour. 20th European Symposium on Suicide and Suicidal Behaviour (ESSSB20), Rome, Italy, 28-31 Aug 2024.
Etherson, M. E. , Rizeq, J. and O’Connor, J. C. (2024) Perfectionism, Social Factors, and Suicide Ideation: A test of the Integrated Motivational-Volitional Model of Suicidal Behaviour. Perfectionism Network Meeting 2024, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, 09-10 Jul 2024.
Etherson, M. E. and Perryman, C. (2024) Understanding Perfectionism with Dr Marianne Etherson. [Audio]
Etherson, M. E. , Platt, S., Belkadi, N. and O'Connor, R. C. (2024) A Rapid Review of Policy Interventions Addressing Social Determinants of Suicide. Whole Government & Society Approach Workshop, Edinburgh, UK, 27th March 2024.
Etherson, M.E. , Belkadi, N., Platt, S. and O'Connor, R. (2024) Policy interventions to address social determinants of suicide: a scoping review. [Research Reports or Papers]
2023
Etherson, M. E. , Lee, S., Jawahar, N., Ward, J., Steward, I., Loney, K. J., Townsend, E., Auer, D. and O’Connor, R. C. (2023) Risk and Protective Factors That Distinguish Young People Who Have Thoughts of Self-Harm or Suicide from Those Who Act On Them: A Systematic Review. International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) 32nd World Congress, Piran, Slovenia, 19-23 Sep 2024.
Donachie, T., Hill, A. P. and Etherson, M. E. (2023) Perfectionism cognitions in sport, dance, and exercise. In: Hill, Andrew P. (ed.) The Psychology of Perfectionism in Sport, Dance, and Exercise, 2nd edition. Routledge. ISBN 9781032263786
Charura, D., Hill, A. P. and Etherson, M. E. (2023) COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, medical mistrust, and mattering in ethnically diverse communities. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, 10(3), pp. 1518-1525. (doi: 10.1007/s40615-022-01337-z) (PMID:35641735) (PMCID:PMC9154033)
2022
Etherson, M. E. and Pratt, V. (2022) Why Perfectionism May Lead to Disordered Eating. [Website]
Etherson, M. E. , Smith, M. M., Hill, A. P., Sherry, S. B., Curran, T., Flett, G. L. and Hewitt, P. L. (2022) Perfectionism, mattering, depressive symptoms, and suicide ideation in students: A test of the Perfectionism Social Disconnection Model. Personality and Individual Differences, 191, 111559. (doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2022.111559)
Mcclelland, H. , Loney, K., Etherson, M. and Platt, S. (2022) Risk and Protective Factors Associated with Suicidal and Self-injurious Behaviours in the Scottish Population. [Research Reports or Papers] (Unpublished)
Etherson, M. E. and Catanach, R. (2022) Perfectionism. [Audio]
Etherson, M. E. , Curran, T., Smith, M. M., Sherry, S. B. and Hill, A. P. (2022) Perfectionism as a vulnerability following appearance-focussed social comparison: a multi-wave study with female adolescents. Personality and Individual Differences, 186, 111355. (doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2021.111355)
Etherson, M. E. , Smith, M. M., Hill, A. P. and Flett, G. L. (2022) Feelings of not mattering and depressive symptoms from a temporal perspective: a comparison of the cross-lagged panel model and random-intercept cross-lagged panel model. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 40(1), pp. 60-76. (doi: 10.1177/07342829211049686)
2021
Etherson, M. E. and Curran, T. (2021) Do perfectionist tendencies in teenage girls make social media more harmful? [Website]
Etherson, M. E. and Curran, T. (2021) Social media: teenage girls with perfectionist tendencies need to take extra care – here’s how. Conversation,
Etherson, M. E., (2021) Why Your Perfectionism May Be Making You Socially Anxious. [Website]
Grugan, M. C., Hill, A. P., Madigan, D. J., Donachie, T. C., Olsson, L. F. and Etherson, M. E. (2021) Perfectionism in academically gifted students: a systematic review. Educational Psychology Review, 33, pp. 1631-1673. (doi: 10.1007/S10648-021-09597-7)
2020
Etherson, M. E. (2020) If I Am Perfect Will I Matter? [Website]
Etherson, M. E. (2020) Socially Disconnected? Your Perfectionism May Be the Problem. [Website]
Etherson, M.E. , Smith, M.M. and Hill, A.P. (2020) Perfectionism, depressive symptoms and suicide ideation. Personality and Individual Differences, 157, p. 14. 109684. (doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2019.109684)
Etherson, M. E. (2020) Portraying a False Self: Perfectionism and Inauthenticity. [Website]
2019
Etherson, M. E. , Smith, M. M., Hill, A. P. and Sherry, S. B. (2019) Perfectionism, Depressive Symptoms, and Suicide Ideation: A Test of the Perfectionism Social Disconnection Model. International Society for the Study of Individual Differences (ISSID) 2019, Florence, Italy, 29 Jul - 02 Aug 2019.
Smith, M. M., Sherry, S. B., Glowacka, M., Speth, T. A., Stewart, S. H., Saklofske, D. H. and Etherson, M. (2019) Who is the most demanding of them all ? A multisource investigation of other-oriented perfectionism, socially prescribed perfectionism, and depressive symptoms. Personality and Individual Differences, 138, pp. 328-332. (doi: 10.1016/J.PAID.2018.09.023)
2018
Smith, M. M., Sherry, S. B., McLarnon, M. E., Flett, G. L., Hewitt, P. L., Saklofske, D. H. and Etherson, M. (2018) Why does socially prescribed perfectionism place people at risk for depression? A five-month, two-wave longitudinal study of the Perfectionism Social Disconnection Model. Personality and Individual Differences, 134, pp. 49-54. (doi: 10.1016/J.PAID.2018.05.040)
Etherson, M. E. and Smith, M. M. (2018) How perfectionism can lead to depression in students. Conversation,
Articles
Wyllie, J. M., Robb, K. A. , Sandford, D., Etherson, M. E. , Belkadi, N. and O'Connor, R. C. (2025) Suicide-related stigma and its relationship with help-seeking, mental health, suicidality and grief: a scoping review. BJPsych Open, 11(2), e60. (doi: 10.1192/bjo.2024.857) (PMID:40116563)
Etherson, M. E. , Hill, A. P., Grugan, M. C., Madigan, D. J. and Smith, M. M. (2025) Development and validation of the Perfectionism Literacy Questionnaire. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, (doi: 10.1177/07342829241313089) (Early Online Publication)
Bourgaize, J. et al. (2024) What guidance is needed by academics who collaborate with digital companies to improve youth mental health? Child and Adolescent Mental Health, (Accepted for Publication)
Etherson, M. E. , Smith, M. M., Hill, A. P., Sherry, S. B., Curran, T., Flett, G. L. and Hewitt, P. L. (2024) Perfectionism, feelings of not mattering, and suicide ideation: an integrated test of the Perfectionism Social Disconnection Model and the Existential Model of Perfectionism. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 42(6), pp. 725-742. (doi: 10.1177/07342829241237421)
Charura, D., Hill, A. P. and Etherson, M. E. (2023) COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, medical mistrust, and mattering in ethnically diverse communities. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, 10(3), pp. 1518-1525. (doi: 10.1007/s40615-022-01337-z) (PMID:35641735) (PMCID:PMC9154033)
Etherson, M. E. , Smith, M. M., Hill, A. P., Sherry, S. B., Curran, T., Flett, G. L. and Hewitt, P. L. (2022) Perfectionism, mattering, depressive symptoms, and suicide ideation in students: A test of the Perfectionism Social Disconnection Model. Personality and Individual Differences, 191, 111559. (doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2022.111559)
Etherson, M. E. , Curran, T., Smith, M. M., Sherry, S. B. and Hill, A. P. (2022) Perfectionism as a vulnerability following appearance-focussed social comparison: a multi-wave study with female adolescents. Personality and Individual Differences, 186, 111355. (doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2021.111355)
Etherson, M. E. , Smith, M. M., Hill, A. P. and Flett, G. L. (2022) Feelings of not mattering and depressive symptoms from a temporal perspective: a comparison of the cross-lagged panel model and random-intercept cross-lagged panel model. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 40(1), pp. 60-76. (doi: 10.1177/07342829211049686)
Etherson, M. E. and Curran, T. (2021) Social media: teenage girls with perfectionist tendencies need to take extra care – here’s how. Conversation,
Grugan, M. C., Hill, A. P., Madigan, D. J., Donachie, T. C., Olsson, L. F. and Etherson, M. E. (2021) Perfectionism in academically gifted students: a systematic review. Educational Psychology Review, 33, pp. 1631-1673. (doi: 10.1007/S10648-021-09597-7)
Etherson, M.E. , Smith, M.M. and Hill, A.P. (2020) Perfectionism, depressive symptoms and suicide ideation. Personality and Individual Differences, 157, p. 14. 109684. (doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2019.109684)
Smith, M. M., Sherry, S. B., Glowacka, M., Speth, T. A., Stewart, S. H., Saklofske, D. H. and Etherson, M. (2019) Who is the most demanding of them all ? A multisource investigation of other-oriented perfectionism, socially prescribed perfectionism, and depressive symptoms. Personality and Individual Differences, 138, pp. 328-332. (doi: 10.1016/J.PAID.2018.09.023)
Smith, M. M., Sherry, S. B., McLarnon, M. E., Flett, G. L., Hewitt, P. L., Saklofske, D. H. and Etherson, M. (2018) Why does socially prescribed perfectionism place people at risk for depression? A five-month, two-wave longitudinal study of the Perfectionism Social Disconnection Model. Personality and Individual Differences, 134, pp. 49-54. (doi: 10.1016/J.PAID.2018.05.040)
Etherson, M. E. and Smith, M. M. (2018) How perfectionism can lead to depression in students. Conversation,
Book Sections
Donachie, T., Hill, A. P. and Etherson, M. E. (2023) Perfectionism cognitions in sport, dance, and exercise. In: Hill, Andrew P. (ed.) The Psychology of Perfectionism in Sport, Dance, and Exercise, 2nd edition. Routledge. ISBN 9781032263786
Research Reports or Papers
Etherson, M.E. , Belkadi, N., Platt, S. and O'Connor, R. (2024) Policy interventions to address social determinants of suicide: a scoping review. [Research Reports or Papers]
Mcclelland, H. , Loney, K., Etherson, M. and Platt, S. (2022) Risk and Protective Factors Associated with Suicidal and Self-injurious Behaviours in the Scottish Population. [Research Reports or Papers] (Unpublished)
Conference or Workshop Item
Etherson, M. E. , Rizeq, J. and O’Connor, R. C. (2024) Perfectionism, Social Factors, and Suicide Ideation: A test of the Integrated Motivational-Volitional Model of Suicidal Behaviour. 20th European Symposium on Suicide and Suicidal Behaviour (ESSSB20), Rome, Italy, 28-31 Aug 2024.
Etherson, M. E. , Rizeq, J. and O’Connor, J. C. (2024) Perfectionism, Social Factors, and Suicide Ideation: A test of the Integrated Motivational-Volitional Model of Suicidal Behaviour. Perfectionism Network Meeting 2024, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, 09-10 Jul 2024.
Etherson, M. E. , Platt, S., Belkadi, N. and O'Connor, R. C. (2024) A Rapid Review of Policy Interventions Addressing Social Determinants of Suicide. Whole Government & Society Approach Workshop, Edinburgh, UK, 27th March 2024.
Etherson, M. E. , Lee, S., Jawahar, N., Ward, J., Steward, I., Loney, K. J., Townsend, E., Auer, D. and O’Connor, R. C. (2023) Risk and Protective Factors That Distinguish Young People Who Have Thoughts of Self-Harm or Suicide from Those Who Act On Them: A Systematic Review. International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) 32nd World Congress, Piran, Slovenia, 19-23 Sep 2024.
Etherson, M. E. , Smith, M. M., Hill, A. P. and Sherry, S. B. (2019) Perfectionism, Depressive Symptoms, and Suicide Ideation: A Test of the Perfectionism Social Disconnection Model. International Society for the Study of Individual Differences (ISSID) 2019, Florence, Italy, 29 Jul - 02 Aug 2019.
Audio
Etherson, M. E. and Perryman, C. (2024) Understanding Perfectionism with Dr Marianne Etherson. [Audio]
Etherson, M. E. and Catanach, R. (2022) Perfectionism. [Audio]
Website
Etherson, M. E. and Pratt, V. (2022) Why Perfectionism May Lead to Disordered Eating. [Website]
Etherson, M. E. and Curran, T. (2021) Do perfectionist tendencies in teenage girls make social media more harmful? [Website]
Etherson, M. E., (2021) Why Your Perfectionism May Be Making You Socially Anxious. [Website]
Etherson, M. E. (2020) If I Am Perfect Will I Matter? [Website]
Etherson, M. E. (2020) Socially Disconnected? Your Perfectionism May Be the Problem. [Website]
Etherson, M. E. (2020) Portraying a False Self: Perfectionism and Inauthenticity. [Website]
