Age-Dependent Relationship between Self-Esteem and Depressive Symptoms in Korean Adolescents: a Meta-Analysis of Longitudinal Studies

Self-esteem is a powerful protective factor against depressive symptoms, with cognitive vulnerability theory suggesting that early self-esteem more strongly predicts later depressive symptoms than vice versa. While some meta-analyses have examined these relationships, limited knowledge exists on the prospective relationship between self-esteem and depressive symptoms, particularly how it changes with age. This study conducted a longitudinal meta-analysis of nine studies (20,733 participants) on the prospective relationship between self-esteem and depressive symptoms in Korean children and adolescents. Relationships were analyzed by integrating the effect sizes of 22 zero-order correlations and 17 partial correlations and examining age-related changes. The results indicated significant negative correlations in both zero-order and partial correlations. Age-related changes showed a reverse U-shape trend in partial correlations, with the strongest negative association during childhood, weakening until age 14, and then strengthening again. Moderator analysis revealed no significant effect size variation based on publication type or gender proportion, but more recent birth cohorts exhibited a stronger negative relationship in zero-order correlations. Significant differences were also found based on the measurement instrument of depressive symptoms. These findings highlight the importance of tailored interventions to enhance self-esteem and mitigate depressive symptoms, extending the cognitive vulnerability model within Korea's cultural context and providing insights into Korean youth mental health.

The role of autism and alexithymia traits in behavioral and neural indicators of self-concept and self-esteem in adolescence

LAY ABSTRACT

Developing a positive view of the self is important for maintaining a good mental health, as feeling negative about the self increases the risk of developing internalizing symptoms such as feelings of depression and anxiety. Even though autistic individuals regularly struggle with these internalizing feelings, and both self-concept and internalizing feelings are known to develop during adolescence, there is a lack of studies investigating the development of positive self-concept and self-esteem in autistic adolescents. Here, we studied academic, physical, and prosocial self-concept as well as self-esteem in adolescent males with and without autism on both the behavioral and neural level. We additionally focused on similarities in one's own and peers' perspectives on the self, and we assessed a potential role of alexithymia (i.e. having trouble identifying and describing one's feelings) in developing a more negative view of the self. Results showed that there were no group differences in self-esteem, self-concept, or underlying neural activation. This shows that autistic adolescent males use the same neural processes when they evaluate their traits. However, regardless of clinical diagnosis, a higher number of autism traits was related to a less positive physical and prosocial self-concept, whereas more difficulty identifying one's feelings was related to lowered self-esteem and less activation in medial prefrontal cortex during self-evaluations. Therefore, in treatment of autistic adolescents with low self-esteem, it is important to take into account and possibly aim to improve alexithymic traits as well.

The impact of perceived organizational support and human resources practices on innovative work behavior: does gender matter?

Modern organizations nowadays are striving to survive and thrive within the intense competition, complex environment, and ongoing globalization. Employees' innovative work behavior has become the primary vehicle for these organizations to achieve this aim. The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of perceived organizational support (POS) and high commitment human resource practices (HCHRPs) on employee innovative work behaviors (IWB) within the moderating role of gender. Data was obtained from 359 academic staff members working in 124 higher education institutions in all emirates of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Findings revealed that POS and HCHRPs are positively related to employee innovative work behaviors. Moreover, the moderating effect of gender on the direct relationship between POS and employee innovative work behaviors was significant, but not significant on the direct relationship between HRPs and employee innovative work behaviors. Implications of the findings for academics and practitioners were presented, and limitations and future research were discussed.

Children's overestimation of performance across age, task, and historical time: A meta-analysis

Children tend to overestimate their performance on a variety of tasks and activities. The present meta-analysis examines the specificity of this phenomenon across age, tasks, and more than five decades of historical time (1968-2021). Self-overestimation was operationalized as the ratio between children's prospective self-estimates of task performance and their actual (i.e., objectively measured) task performance. A total of 246 effect sizes from 43 published articles were analyzed (4277 participants; 49.6% girls; sample mean ages range from 4 to 12; 86.0% of studies conducted in North America or Europe). Children's self-overestimation was robust across tasks, with their estimates of performance being 1.3 times their actual performance. In addition, children's self-overestimation decreased with sample age and increased with the year of data collection.

Women Who Experience More Affectionate Touch Report Better Body Satisfaction and Relationship Outcomes

Affectionate touch (e.g. hugging, handholding) is an essential component of many intimate relationships and is a primary contributor to overall relationship satisfaction as well as sexual satisfaction. Affectionate touch is understood to be a form of non-verbal communication in which the giver is expressing positive feelings toward the receiver. Here, we propose that affectionate touch also positively impacts receivers' body satisfaction, because affectionate touch is a positive message communicated toward the receiver's body. In a cross-sectional sample of romantically partnered women (N = 1,156), we assessed the association between affectionate touch frequency and body satisfaction. We also investigated whether affectionate touch is associated with relationship/sexual satisfaction in part because touch helps to improve women's evaluations of their own bodies. Our results showed that body satisfaction was a significant, partial mediator and a valid path through which affectionate touch shapes relationship quality. Receiving affectionate touch could bolster relationship satisfaction and self-perceptions among women. Given the prevalence of body dissatisfaction amongst women, these results suggest that the underexplored associations between affectionate touch and body satisfaction may have significant impacts on a wide array of future empirical and applied research trajectories.

The Association between Women's History of Sexual Abuse, Mental Health, and Sexual Motivations in Committed Intimate Relationships

In committed intimate relationships, motivations for engaging in or avoiding sexual relations can indicate partners' perceptions, needs, and attitudes toward sexual intimacy, and reflect sexual functioning. Sexual motivations can be positive, reflecting and advancing relational goals, such as establishing and maintaining closeness between partners and pleasure, or negative, stemming out of fear of one's partner, pleasing them, or depriving sexual contact to punish the partner or establish relational power. In this study, we extended the current conceptualization and assessment of negative sexual motivations to explore the associations between women's history of sexual abuse, their mental health, and their negative sexual motivations. Structural equation modeling results from 236 adult Israeli women who were in committed intimate relationships indicated that a woman's history of sexual abuse negatively predicted her mental health which, in turn, negatively predicted her negative sexual motivations. Mental health mediated the association between a woman's history of sexual abuse and her negative sexual motivations. These findings have theoretical and empirical contributions to research in terms of the short- and long-term effects of sexual abuse on women, mental health, and women's sexuality. Their clinical implications for mental health professionals, sexual therapists, and clinicians working with women who experience sexual abuse are also discussed.

Are Mindfulness and Self-Compassion Related to Peace of Mind? The Mediating Role of Nonattachment

Peace of mind is an important affective well-being valued in Chinese culture. Mindfulness and self-compassion could potentially promote peace of mind. However, the mechanisms underlying these effects were not well understood. The current cross-sectional study aimed to investigate whether nonattachment explained the effects of mindfulness and self-compassion on peace of mind. A sample of 364 Chinese adults was recruited from WeChat, a popular Chinese social media platform. Participants filled out an online survey including measures of dispositional mindfulness, self-compassion, nonattachment, and peace of mind. The results of correlation analyses revealed significant and positive associations among mindfulness, self-compassion, nonattachment, and peace of mind. Furthermore, nonattachment significantly mediated the associations between mindfulness and self-compassion with peace of mind. Moderated mediation analyses indicated that the relationships between mindfulness and self-compassion with nonattachment were stronger for women than for men. Gender did not moderate the direct effects of mindfulness and self-compassion on peace of mind, the relationship between nonattachment and peace of mind, and the mediating effects of mindfulness and self-compassion on peace of mind through nonattachment. These findings suggest that nonattachment may be a potential mechanism through which mindfulness and self-compassion promote peace of mind among Chinese adults. If the mediating effects are confirmed in future longitudinal and experimental studies, mindfulness and self-compassion interventions can emphasize nonattachment to optimize their effects on peace of mind. It may also be important to tailor mindfulness and self-compassion training for men and women given the gender differences in the relationships between mindfulness and self-compassion with nonattachment.

Happiness and Socio-Demographic Factors in an Italian Sample: A Propensity-Matched Study

Happiness is receiving more and more interest both as a determinant of health and a measure of outcome in biomedical and psychological sciences. The main objective of this study was to assess how the levels of happiness vary in a large sample of Italian adults and to identify the socio-demographic conditions which impair happiness domains the most. The participants of this survey consisted of 1695 Italian adults (85.9% women; 14.1% men) who completed the Measure of Happiness (MH) questionnaire online. In this study, the differences between groups in total and single domain (life perspective, psychophysical status, socio-relational sphere, relational private sphere, and financial status) happiness levels were examined through a propensity score matching analysis with respect to socio-demographic conditions, including gender, age, annual income, relationship status, having children, and education level. The results show that low income has a negative impact on happiness levels, whereas being in a relationship has a positive effect. Having children appears to have a negative impact on male happiness. Males appear to be happier than females, especially with regard to the psychophysics status. This evidence emphasizes the urgency for Italian policymakers to take actions on removing obstacles to people's happiness, especially with regard to financial distress, parenthood, and gender gaps.

Body image explains differences in intuitive eating between men and women: Examining indirect effects across negative and positive body image

Intuitive eating is an adaptive and flexible form of eating. Men report higher rates of intuitive eating than women. Objectification processes are proposed to underlie this (binary) gender difference due to the intense body-related pressures that disrupt body image in women. The current study is the first known to test whether body image indirectly explains lower levels of intuitive eating in women relative to men. A cross-sectional sample of 498 adults aged 18-74 years recruited through Prolific completed an online survey assessing intuitive eating and negative and positive body image indicators. Women reported poorer body image and lower levels of intuitive eating compared to men. Significant indirect effects suggested body image explained gender differences in intuitive eating, controlling for age and body mass index. In women relative to men, greater body surveillance and lower aesthetic satisfaction explained lower total intuitive eating and reliance on hunger and satiety, greater aesthetic investment explained lower total intuitive eating and eating for physical reasons, and lower functionality investment explained lower body-food choice congruence. More research is needed, but findings suggest programs may benefit from decreasing critical views of appearance and strengthening functionality investment in women to reduce gender differences in intuitive eating.

Is adolescent internet use a risk factor for the development of depression symptoms or vice-versa?

BACKGROUND

The extent to which digital media use by adolescents contributes to poor mental health, or vice-versa, remains unclear. The purpose of the present study is to clarify the strength and direction of associations between adolescent internet use and the development of depression symptoms using a longitudinal modeling approach. We also examine whether associations differ for boys and girls.

METHODS

Data are drawn from (N = 1547) participants followed for the Quebec longitudinal Study of Child Development (QLSCD 1998-2020). Youth self-reported internet use in terms of the average hours of use per week at the ages of 13, 15, and 17. Youth also self-reported depression symptoms at the same ages.

RESULTS

After testing sex-invariance, random intercepts cross-lagged panel models stratified by sex, revealed that internet use by girls was associated with significant within-person (time-varying) change in depression symptoms. Girl's internet use at age 13 was associated with increased depression symptoms at age 15 (ß = 0.12) and internet use at age 15 increased depression at age 17 (ß = 0.10). For boys, internet use was not associated with significant time varying change in depression symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

The present findings support the hypothesis that internet use by adolescents can represent a significant risk factor for the development of depressive symptoms, particularly in girls.

Quality of Life and Mental Health of Chinese Sexual and Gender Minority Women and Cisgender Heterosexual Women: Cross-sectional Survey and Mediation Analysis

BACKGROUND

Health-related research on sexual minority populations in China is lacking, and research on sexual and gender minority women (SGMW, including transgender women and persons of other gender identities assigned female at birth of all sexual orientations, and cisgender women with nonheterosexual orientations) is even less. Currently, there are limited surveys related to mental health in Chinese SGMW, but there are no studies on their quality of life (QOL), no studies comparing the QOL of SGMW with that of cisgender heterosexual women (CHW), and no studies on the relationship between sexual identity and the QOL as well as associated mental health variables.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to evaluate the QOL and mental health in a diverse sample of Chinese women and make comparisons between SGMW and CHW and then investigate the relationship between sexual identity and the QOL through the role of mental health.

METHODS

A cross-sectional online survey was conducted from July to September 2021. All participants completed a structured questionnaire containing the World Health Organization Quality of Life-abbreviated short version (WHOQOL-BREF), the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7), and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES).

RESULTS

In total, 509 women aged 18-56 years were recruited, including 250 (49.1%) CHW and 259 (50.9%) SGMW. Independent t tests showed that the SGMW reported significantly lower levels of QOL, higher levels of depression and anxiety symptoms, and lower self-esteem than the CHW. Pearson correlations showed that every domain and the overall QOL were positively associated with mental health variables, with moderate-to-strong correlations (r range 0.42-0.75, P<.001). Multiple linear regressions found that participants belonging to the SGMW group, current smokers, and women with no steady partner were associated with a worse overall QOL. The mediation analysis found that depression, anxiety, and self-esteem significantly completely mediated the relationship between sexual identity and physical, social, and environment domains of the QOL, while the relationship between sexual identity and the overall QOL and psychological QOL was partially mediated by depression and self-esteem.

CONCLUSIONS

The SGMW had poorer levels of QOL and a worse mental health status than the CHW. The study findings affirm the importance of assessing mental health and highlight the need to design targeted health improvement programs for the SGMW population, who may be at higher risk of a poor QOL and mental health.

Prevalence and predictors of benevolent childhood experiences among a representative sample of young people

Emerging research evidence suggests that benevolent childhood experiences (BCEs) may partly explain more favourable mental health outcomes among individuals affected by adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). However, much of this research has focused on adult populations. Consequently, this study sought to provide the first rigorous assessment of the prevalence and predictors of BCEs using a nationally representative sample of young people from Northern Ireland (NI). Participants were 11-19-years-olds (N = 1293) who participated in the NI Youth Wellbeing Prevalence Survey (NI-YWS, 2020). Prevalence rates, gender differences and predictors of BCEs were investigated. Results revealed how most of the sample experienced multiple BCEs (95%, n = 1084), with females reporting higher levels of BCEs. Significant positive predictors of BCEs were female gender, parental education, living with both biological parents, and living in areas with lower deprivation, while significant negative predictors of BCEs included family being in receipt of social welfare and older age. Overall, this study highlights how BCEs are common, while the identification of factors associated with likelihood of having positive experiences during early development provides novel insights into those young people who may be at greater risk for maladaptive psychological outcomes.

Can Prior Sexual Abuse Explain Global Differences in Measured Self-Esteem in Male and Female Adolescents?

World research has shown that adolescent and young adult women and girls have significantly "poorer" self-esteem than men and boys, on a variety of previously validated self-esteem measures. There is no consensus on reasons for this, and a variety of factors have been proposed: some adolescent girls have a preoccupation with facial and body features, and this leads to a global negative evaluation of self-characteristics; the measures themselves are biased towards describing self-characteristics on which men and boys are likely to evaluate themselves more favourably; and in an often-sexist world, women and girls experience (or anticipate) many structural disadvantages, in education, career and promotion, which lead girls to "internalise" an image of themselves as less able or worthy than men and boys. A separate literature on the sexual abuse and exploitation of children and adolescents has found that (a) sexual exploitation and maltreatment often has a sequel in impaired self-concept and self-esteem and (b) sexual maltreatment is twice as likely to occur in women and girls. It is puzzling that differential levels of child sexual abuse have not been advanced in many studies as an explanation of gender differences in self-esteem in the large-scale studies we review, although this effect is confirmed by clinical and social work literature.

Love Addiction, Adult Attachment Patterns and Self-Esteem: Testing for Mediation Using Path Analysis

Love addiction is a dysfunctional relational modality that takes on the addiction characteristics and which, for the individuals who suffer from it, can have a negative and pervasive impact on various areas of functioning. The objective of this research was the analysis the factors that can be associated with love addiction, particularly focusing on adult attachment patterns and self-esteem. A sample group of 300 individuals who declared themselves to have a romantic relationship was involved in this research (M_age = 37.83 years, SD = 12.937). They completed an online survey including the Love Addiction Inventory-Short form, Relationship Questionnaire, and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Results showed significant and positive associations between preoccupied and fearful adult attachment and love addiction. Furthermore, these relationships were totally mediated by self-esteem. Gender and age were controlled as potential covariates and showed significant effects in influencing the levels of self-esteem and love addiction. Such findings may provide useful information for orienting future research and supporting an effective clinical practice.

The Impact of Mental Health Predictors of Internet Addiction among Pre-Service Teachers in Ghana

This study examined the prevalence of addictive Internet behavior and its links with mental health among pre-service teachers in Ghana. A descriptive, correlational design was employed with 405 pre-service teachers from colleges of education and a public university in Ghana participating in this study. The sample completed a sociodemographic survey about loneliness, life satisfaction, depression, self-esteem, and the Internet addiction scales (abridged form). The results revealed that there was a significant relationship between pre-service teachers' Internet addiction, depression, life satisfaction, and loneliness; however, depression was the least influential factor in addictive Internet use. Additionally, there was a statistically significant nexus between self-esteem, loneliness, depression, and life satisfaction. In addition, all the above-mentioned variables were discovered to explain 56.3% of the absolute variance in addiction to the Internet. Among the variables linked with Internet addiction and its dimensions, loneliness appeared to be the most significant. Institutional coping programs with Internet addiction should be established within the scope of the university administration, supporting pre-service teachers' mental health. Finally, the development of awareness campaigns on the menaces associated with Internet usage and mental health through extracurricular programs is recommended.

Stability and change in dispositional envy: Longitudinal evidence on envy as a stable trait

Dispositional envy has been conceptualized as an emotional trait that varies across comparison domains (e.g., attraction, competence, wealth). Despite its prevalence and potentially detrimental effects, little is known about stability and change in dispositional envy across time due to a lack of longitudinal data. The goal of the present research was to close this gap by investigating stability and developmental change in dispositional envy over time. In a preregistered longitudinal study across 6 years, we analyzed data from N = 1229 German participants ( n = 510–634 per wave) with a mean age of 47.0 years at intake ( SD = 12.4, range 18–88). Results from latent factor models revealed that both global and domain-specific dispositional envy were stable across 6 years in terms of their rank order and mean levels, with stability coefficients similar to those of other trait measures reported in literature. Moreover, a substantial amount of variance in global and domain-specific dispositional envy was accounted for by a stable trait factor. Results thus provide evidence for a stable disposition toward the experience of envy both at the global level and within specific envy domains. The present findings have important theoretical and practical implications for the stability and development of dispositional envy in adulthood and advance the understanding of emotional traits in general.

Exploring English for medical purposes (EMP) teacher cognition in the Chinese context

It has been a growing trend in Chinese universities to shift from English for general purposes (EGP) to English for specific purposes (ESP) teaching. Against this background, large groups of teachers previously engaged in teaching EGP have become or are becoming ESP teachers, which means a complex process of learning for subject-specific information, transforming teaching practices and constructing new identities. Despite this, very little has been written about the ESP teacher cognition (TC) of language teaching or the factors influencing this shift in teaching. This study involved English for Medical Purposes (EMP) teachers in Chinese universities as participants, and a scale of EMP TC with 31 items was developed on the basis of questionnaire results. Data from exploratory factor analysis revealed six dimensions of the scale, namely, teacher attitude, teacher belief, teacher learning, teacher support, role identification, and teacher practice-that combine to constitute and influence EMP TC. While the identity factor has attracted wide attention in ESP teacher research, other factors have largely been neglected. Thus, this research highlights the importance of more factors in shaping and changing the language teaching cognition of EMP or ESP teachers in large, especially the teacher belief factor. In addition, results of independent samples t-tests indicated significant difference in EMP teacher learning in terms of gender, differences in EMP teacher attitude and teacher support in terms of EMP teaching experience. Suggestions for enhancing EMP TC are offered on the basis of the conclusions of this research.

The moderating role of emotional intelligence in the link between self-esteem and symptoms of eating disorders

OBJECTIVE

This research aimed to explore the moderating role of emotional intelligence (EI) in the relationship between self-esteem and eating disorders (ED) symptomatology.

METHOD

A battery of online questionnaires was administered to a sample of 516 adults including university students and a community population. The sample, age range of 18-77 years (X = 38.90; SD = 14.76), was made up of 63% women and 32% men.

RESULTS

EI moderated the association between self-esteem and ED symptomatology for the total sample. However, a gender-specific analysis showed that the moderation effect was only significant for women. Specifically, when women reported a low level of self-esteem, those with high scores in EI reported lower scores in ED symptoms than those with low EI.

DISCUSSION

Our findings are discussed in terms of the need for future research to understand the different gender associations and to consider these differences in further intervention programs for reducing the risk of ED, in which training in emotional skills may be more beneficial for women than men.

Demographic and sociocultural predictors of sexuality-related body image and sexual frequency: The U.S. Body Project I

Body image is a critical component of an individual's sexual experiences. This makes it critical to identify demographic and sociocultural correlates of sexuality-related body image: the subjective feelings, cognitions, and evaluations related to one's body in the context of sexual experience. We examined how sexuality-related body image differed by gender, sexual orientation, race, age, and BMI. Four items assessing sexuality-related body image were completed by 11,620 U.S. adults: self-perceived sex appeal of their body, nude appearance satisfaction, and the extent to which they believed that body image positively or negatively affected their sexual enjoyment and feelings of sexual acceptability as a partner. Men reported slightly less nude appearance dissatisfaction and fewer negative effects of body image on sexual enjoyment and sexual acceptability than women, but did not differ in reported sex appeal. Poorer sexuality-related body image was reported by people with higher BMIs, not in relationships, who had sex less frequently, among White compared to Black women and men, and among gay compared to heterosexual men. Data also revealed a subgroup of respondents who reported that their body image had a positive impact on their sex lives. The findings highlight a need for interventions addressing sexuality-related body image.

Demographic predictors of body image satisfaction: The U.S. Body Project I

We examined how gender, body mass, race, age, and sexual orientation were linked to appearance evaluation, overweight preoccupation, and body image-related quality of life among 11,620 adults recruited via Mechanical Turk. Men were less likely than women to report low appearance evaluation, high overweight preoccupation, negative effects of body image on their quality of life, being on a weight-loss diet, and trying to lose weight with crash diets/fasting. Racial differences were generally small, but greater appearance evaluation was reported by Black men versus other groups and Black women versus White women. Across all measures, gay and bisexual men reported poorer body image than heterosexual men, with only small effect sizes observed for sexual orientation differences among women. Body mass, but not age, was strongly associated with body image. The prevalence of poor body image highlights the need for interventions. On the positive side, half of men and women reported high appearance evaluation. Examination of this group could identify factors promoting positive body image.

An abbreviated 10-item, two-factor version of the Body Image Quality of Life Inventory (BIQLI-10): The U.S. Body Project I

The objective of this study was to re-examine the factor structure of the Body Image Quality of Life Inventory (BIQLI), a measure that quantifies perceived effects of one's body image on various aspects of psychosocial functioning. Data on the 19-item BIQLI from a community sample of 11,620 U.S. men and women were split into cross-validation samples and underwent exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. An abbreviated 10-item, two-factor version of the BIQLI (BIQLI-10) was identified. The BIQLI-10 measures Social Relations & Psychological Well-Being with one subscale and Appearance & Body Management Activities with the other. Internal consistency was high for each subscale. The BIQLI-10 largely retained the convergent validity of the original 19-item BIQLI, as evidenced by nearly identical correlations with appearance evaluation, overweight preoccupation, body surveillance, appearance pressures, and appearance ideal internalization. Results also supported strong measurement invariance for the BIQLI-10 by age group, gender, sexual orientation, racial group, and weight status. Findings from this study suggest researchers may use this abbreviated version to increase nuance in the measurement of body image quality of life and reduce participant burden without compromising the psychometric integrity of the BIQLI. Further, results support the comparison of BIQLI-10 subscale scores across diverse groups.

Upward social comparison sensitivity on teachers' emotional exhaustion: A moderated moderation model of self-esteem and gender

Drawing on conservation of resources theory, this study aims to extend the work on individual differences in the relationship between upward social comparison sensitivity and emotional exhaustion in a sample of teachers by examining the interaction effects of self-esteem and gender differences. A total of 681 teachers completed a self-reported questionnaire including the Upward Social Comparison Sensitivity Scale, the Self-Esteem Scale, and the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Educators Survey (MBI-ES) subscale. The results based on a moderated moderation model indicated that: (1) Upward social comparison sensitivity was positively correlated with emotional exhaustion; (2) self-esteem moderated the relationship between upward social comparative sensitivity and emotional exhaustion; and (3) there was a significant gender difference in self-esteem that moderated the relationship between upward social comparison sensitivity and emotional exhaustion. These findings contribute to the understanding of how upward social comparison sensitivity predicts teachers' emotional exhaustion and provide practical insights for prevention and intervention programs to protect teachers' mental health in school settings.

Gender Differences in Self-Estimated Intelligence: Exploring the Male Hubris, Female Humility Problem

Despite evidence from cognitive psychology that men and women are equal in measured intelligence, gender differences in self-estimated intelligence (SEI) are widely reported with males providing systematically higher estimates than females. This has been termed the male hubris, female humility effect. The present study explored personality factors that might explain this. Participants (N = 228; 103 male, 125 female) provided self-estimates of their general IQ and for Gardner’s multiple intelligences, before completing the Cattell Culture Fair IQ test as an objective measure of intelligence. They also completed the Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI) as a measure of sex-role identification, and measures of general and academic self-esteem. Both gender and sex-role differences were observed for SEI, with males and participants of both genders who scored high in masculinity offering higher self-estimates. By comparing estimated and observed IQ, we were able to rule out gender differences in overall accuracy but observed a pattern of systematic underestimation in females. An hierarchical multiple regression showed significant independent effects of gender, masculinity, and self-esteem. Mixed evidence was observed for gender differences in the estimation of multiple intelligences, though moderately sized sex-role differences were observed. The results offer a far more nuanced explanation for the male hubris, female humility effect that includes the contribution of sex role identification to individual and group differences.

The Mediating Effect of Dispositional Gratitude on the Relationship between Religious Struggles and Self-Esteem: Preliminary Results

In comforting or distressing circumstances, individuals tend to have various perceptions of themselves. It seems that religious comfort and religious distress correlate differently with people’s self-esteem. Since the relationship between religiosity and self-esteem is not only direct but can be mediated by other factors that are recognized as buffers against adverse situations, our main goal was to verify whether dispositional gratitude may have an indirect effect on the association between both variables. The research involved data from 254 participants aged 18 to 25 (M = 21.24; SD = 2.09) and included 192 women (76%) and 62 men (24%). To measure the title variables, we used: the Religious Comfort and Strain Scale (RCSS), the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), and the Gratitude Questionnaire (GQ-6). The results showed that people who consider religion as a source of comfort express positive attitudes toward the self and recognize others’ kindness, as well. In contrast, people who consider religiosity as a cause of fear, stress, and internal strain tend to display a lower subjective sense of personal worth and lower appreciation of the positivity around them. Moreover, gratitude had a mediatory effect on the relationships between religious comfort/negative emotions toward God and self-esteem.

Late-onset or chronic overweight/obesity predicts low self-esteem in early adolescence: a longitudinal cohort study

Background

How weight status changes with time may affect self-esteem was seldom studied. We identified the distinct trajectories of overweight/obesity over age and assessed their associations with different domains of self-esteem in Hong Kong Chinese children.

Methods

Territory-wide longitudinal data of 48,558 children (girls: 50.0%; 6.3 ± 0.51 years) studying Primary 1 in the academic cohorts of 1995/96 and 1996/97 followed till Primary 6 were obtained from the Student Health Service of Hong Kong. Weight was annually measured and categorized as underweight/normal and overweight/obese and self-esteem was measured in Primary 6. Distinct trajectories of weight status were first identified using growth mixture modeling and their associations with low self-esteem were assessed by logistic regression.

Results

Four distinct overweight/obesity trajectories were identified: never (76.8%), late-onset (8.1%), early-onset (4.2%) and chronic (10.9%) overweight/obesity. Compared with children who were never overweight/obese, more of those in the late-onset or chronic overweight/obesity group showed low self-esteem and specific domains including general, social and academic/school-related (adjusted odds ratios: 1.20 - 1.43, all P < 0.001) except parent/home-related self-esteem (P = 0.36), whereas children being in the early-onset overweight/obesity group showed no significant difference (P ≥ 0.53) except a lower risk of low social self-esteem (adjusted odds ratio = 0.82, P = 0.03).

Conclusions

Late-onset or chronic overweight/obesity predicted low general, social and academic/school-related self-esteem. Children who successfully reduced weight may have equal levels of self-esteem or even better social self-esteem than those being always underweight/normal weight. Overweight/obese children had a vulnerability to self-esteem in non-domestic environments.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-021-12381-5.

Review: Physical activity interventions for the mental health and well-being of adolescents - a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Rates of physical activity decline throughout adolescence, and evidence indicates that this has an adverse impact on psychological health. This paper aims to synthesise available evidence for physical activity interventions on the mental health and well-being of young people (11-19 years) from the general population.

METHOD

Nine databases were searched to identify studies published between January 2005 and June 2020: Web of Science, ProQuest Psychology Journals, PsycINFO, Pub Med, ASSIA, CINHAL PLUS, SPORTDiscus, EMBASE and Wiley Online Library. Key search terms included 'physical activity intervention', 'mental health' and 'adolescen*'. Eligible studies were independently screened by two authors based on inclusion/exclusion criteria.

RESULTS

Twenty-eight interventions were narratively synthesised in four categories: Quality of Life (QOL), self-esteem, psychological well-being and psychological ill-being (e.g. depression, stress). A large proportion (67.9%) of interventions were multicomponent and combined physical activity with other features such as health education (e.g. nutrition). However, only a limited number (N = 5) specifically addressed mental health. Findings suggest that interventions are useful in improving psychological well-being and QOL, yet evidence for self-esteem is mixed.

CONCLUSIONS

Although effectiveness in improving well-being is evident, evidence for a reduction in the frequency and severity of mental health problems is less clear. A summary of the overall impact of physical activity interventions on the mental health of young people is presented.

Very preterm birth and trajectories of domain-specific self-concept from childhood into adulthood

Self-concept refers to individuals' perceptions of themselves in specific domains and is closely related with their overall self-esteem. Lower self-esteem has been reported in those born preterm (<37 weeks gestation), but the development of self-concept has not been studied in this population. This study investigates whether differences in trajectories of domain-specific self-concepts are explained by premature birth or other risk factors, using the Bavarian Longitudinal Study (N = 460), a population-based study of very preterm (VP; <32 weeks gestation)/very low birth weight (VLBW; <1500 g) cohort and term-born controls. Trajectories of body and social self-concept from 6 to 26 years of age were estimated using latent class growth analysis. Regression models examined the effects of VP/VLBW and other individual, social, and family factors. Two trajectories - one stable and one decreasing - were identified for both self-concepts. VP/VLBW birth was associated with decreasing self-concept in both domains, although the effect of VP/VLBW on social self-concept was weakened in the adjusted analysis. Furthermore, mediated pathways were found from VP/VLBW to decreasing social self-concept via chronic bullying (β = 0.05, 95% CI [0.002, 0.12]) and motor impairments (β = 0.04, 95% CI [0.01, 0.07]), suggesting that negative self-concept in the VP/VLBW population is partially modifiable through improving peer relationships and motor impairments in childhood.

The Relation Between Gender Identity and Well-Being

Does strong gender identity help or harm one's well-being? Previous research suggests that acceptance of one's social group and feelings of belongingness to the group are positively related to well-being, regardless of the group's social status. However, there are inconsistent findings about the relation between well-being and how central the group is to one's identity (centrality), especially among disadvantaged groups (e.g., women). In Studies 1 to 10 (total N = 5,955), we clarified these relations by controlling for shared variance between distinct gender identity aspects. Acceptance and belongingness were positively related to a range of well-being variables. Centrality was negatively related to well-being. These results were consistent across genders. Studies 11 to 14 (total N = 2,380) found that the negative relation between gender centrality and well-being might be mediated by perceived pressure to conform to the masculine role among men and perceived gender inequality among women. These results uncover a burden of strong gender identity.

Addictive internet behaviors: The role of trait emotional intelligence, self-esteem, age, and gender

Internet is essential part of everyday life and certainly facilitate it on several levels. It is a helpful information tool, and knowledge, but its unlimited range often is risky for users. The behaviors and outcomes of internet abuse have already been well-documented in the literature; less is known about the role of personal factors that reinforce internet addiction. Based on the Interaction of Person-Affect-Cognition-Execution model (I-PACE), the current study investigates the role of trait emotional intelligence and self-esteem, age, and gender in relation to addictive internet behaviors. We conducted an online investigation among respondents. The participants were Italian university students who voluntarily completed the Abuse Internet Addiction scale (UADI) and the Rosenberg Self-esteem scale. Path analysis results revealed that both trait emotional intelligence and self-esteem had a protective direct effect on addictive internet behaviors. Age negatively affects addictive internet behaviors; younger are more likely to develop addictive internet behaviors than older individuals. Finally, we did not find an effect of gender on addictive internet behaviors. Our results suggest the need to develop prevention plans for addictive internet behaviors and educational programs to increase emotional intelligence and self-esteem components to help younger to improve interpersonal and emotional management skills to better handle their internet use.

Body image disturbance and sexual orientation: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis

Negative body image, or body image disturbance (BID) has been associated with depression, low self-esteem, and the development of eating disorders. Furthermore, BID may affect an individual regardless of gender or sexual orientation. To synthesise the current literature, we conducted a meta-analysis of 48 studies to determine if BID differed between lesbian versus heterosexual women, lesbian women versus gay men, and gay versus heterosexual men. Body image measures were grouped according to similarities in constructs measured, resulting in five different categories (global satisfaction, figural-rating scales, cognitive measures, affect measures, and male body image). The results indicated that lesbian women reported experiencing less BID compared to heterosexual women on measures of global satisfaction, but more compared to gay men, and gay men reported experiencing greater BID compared to heterosexual men on three out of five analyses. Moderation analyses indicated that the study quality was not a statistically significant moderator of the effect sizes. Results from this updated meta-analysis indicate that, to some degree, BIDs affect individuals regardless of gender and sexual orientation; however, there is some variability associated with sexual orientation.

General vs health-specific consideration of immediate and future consequences to explain eating and exercise behavior in a Norwegian student population: A randomized survey experiment

Over several decades, the consideration of future consequences (CFC) construct has been used to explain and predict health behaviors. However, the reported associations between CFC and health behaviors are relatively weak, leading to the low explanatory power of the models. Recent research suggests that CFC can be a domain-specific construct. In this study, we explored the psychometric properties of the Norwegian CFC-general and CFC-health questionnaires in terms of factor structure and discriminant and convergent validity and tested the association between the general and domain-specific CFC and exercise and eating behaviors. In a randomized survey experiment, 1,001 university students were assigned to either a CFC-general or a CFC-health questionnaire. In the tested models, two dimensions of CFC, consideration of immediate consequences (CFC-I) and consideration of future consequences (CFC-F), were independent variables. The exercise and eating behaviors, measured both as self-evaluated behaviors and self-reported frequency measures, were dependent variables. The results showed that in both CFC-general and CFC-health, CFC-I and CFC-F are distinct dimensions that differentially explain variance in health behaviors. A domain-specific CFC-health explained a significantly higher amount of variance in self-reported eating and exercising behaviors than a general CFC. Self-evaluated health behaviors were better explained by CFC than self-reported behavioral frequencies. Practical implications of the findings and avenues for future research are discussed.

Self-Evaluation Differences Among Swedish Children and Adolescents Over a 30-Year Period

International research has found changes in how today’s young people evaluate themselves. The present Swedish research contributes with new findings by distinguishing different patterns of change in self-evaluation in two age groups. The study investigates generational and gender differences in five self-evaluation dimensions in two samples, one from 1983 (N = 3052 10–16-year-old students) and one from 2013 (N = 1303 10–18-year-old students). Three age groups were analyzed. The generational comparison for primary school (ages 10–12) showed higher scores in 2013 than in 1983 for all five self-evaluation dimensions. Interactions between generation and gender were found for psychological well-being, relations to others, school competence evaluations, and the total score, demonstrating, in contrast to international research, a greater increase for girls than for boys. Noteworthy is that girls in primary school had higher scores in 2013. The generational comparison for lower secondary school (ages 13–15) demonstrated higher scores for school competence, relational self-evaluations, and a total higher score in 2013. Interactions between generation and gender were found for total, physical, and psychological well-being evaluation scores, indicating an increase for boys and a decrease for girls in 2013 compared to 1983. The gender comparison for secondary school (ages 16–18, 2013), showed gender differences for physical, psychological well-being, school competence evaluations, and for the total score to the advantage of boys. The study discusses changes in self-evaluation in relation to phenomena such as permissive child-rearing, decreased demands in school, increased self-enhancement behavior through social media, and narrow body ideals in today’s society. The study recommends that interventions directed toward groups with low self-evaluation scores should be considered.

The Investigation of Gender Differences in Subjective Wellbeing in Children and Adolescents: The UP&DOWN Study

OBJECTIVE

Based on a three-factor model of subjective wellbeing (evaluative, hedonic and eudemonic), the purpose of this study was to analyze gender differences in children and adolescents through three different subjective wellbeing indicators.

METHOD

The sample comprised 1.407 children and adolescents from Cadiz and Madrid (Spain), in the framework of the UP&DOWN study. Life satisfaction was measured with the subjective happiness scale, positive and negative affect were measured with the positive and negative affect schedule, and purpose in life was assessed with the children's hope scale.

RESULTS

Linear regression models indicate the existence of significant gender differences only in adolescents, with higher scores among girls in positive affect (p = 0.016) and negative affect (p < 0.001) but with lower scores in purpose in life (p = 0.024).

CONCLUSIONS

These results highlight the role of gender as an important factor in explaining differences in subjective wellbeing. Additionally, results indicate that gender differences in subjective wellbeing are observed in adolescents, but not in children, suggesting that the gender gap in subjective wellbeing begins at the age of 12. Mental health practitioners should pay attention to these findings in order to implement screening methods and interventions focused on these needs.

Multiple Dimensions of Self-Esteem and Their Relationship with Health in Adolescence

The aim of the present study was to examine how different domains of self-esteem (social, competence, affect, academic, family, and physical) relate to self-reported physical and mental health, lower back pain (LBP), smoking, and physical exercise in a sample of adolescents. A sample of 326 adolescents 14-19 years old completed several self-report questionnaires collecting epidemiological data, and information on their LBP, smoking, and physical exercise, the Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), and the Multidimensional Self-Concept Scale. Pearson's correlations were calculated between their self-esteem scores and their physical and mental health scores. Three multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVAs) were performed to estimate associations between self-esteem and LBP, smoking, and physical exercise. Self-esteem (total and subcomponent scores) correlated positively with physical and mental health, and with physical exercise, and negatively with smoking. The results also confirm gender-related differences in self-esteem, in favor of boys. This study offers the first findings on the relationship between different domains of self-esteem and a variety of health outcomes in an adolescent population. The results suggest that multidimensional interventions could be devised to improve adolescents' physical health by promoting their physical exercise, and to prevent their smoking by nurturing their self-esteem.

Profiles of narcissism and self-esteem associated with comprehensive mental health in adolescents

INTRODUCTION

This study firstly aimed to identify different profiles of narcissism and self-esteem in adolescents using latent profile analysis (LPA). A secondary aim was to examine associations between the identified profiles and subsequent measures of comprehensive mental health.

METHODS

Chinese adolescents (N = 1009, 50.8%girls, M_age = 12.99, SD = 0.66) completed a packet of measures on two occasions at 6-month intervals. Narcissism and self-esteem were assessed at Time 1. Positive and negative indicators of mental health were assessed at Time 2.

RESULTS

Latent profile analysis of narcissism and self-esteem identified six profiles: (1) high narcissism and high self-esteem; (2) high-moderate self-regard; (3) moderate self-regard; (4) low-moderate self-regard; (5) high narcissism but low self-esteem; (6) low self-regard. Adolescents in the high narcissism and high self-esteem and high-moderate self-regard profiles displayed positive mental health outcomes whereas adolescents in the high narcissism but low self-esteem and low self-regard profiles reported problematic mental health outcomes.

CONCLUSION

Differing profiles of narcissism and self-esteem in adolescents were identified; these profiles provide new insight into the structure of self-concept for adolescents. Further, the identified profiles of narcissism and self-esteem were differentially related to subsequent comprehensive mental health outcomes.

The Happy American Body 2.0: Predictors of affective body satisfaction in two U.S. national internet panel surveys

The first national study of body image was reported four decades ago in the article The Happy American Body (Berscheid et al., 1973). To provide a modern follow-up to this study, we used two Internet panel surveys of U.S. adults to examine feelings about appearance (Survey 1: Married N = 1095; Single N = 5481) and weight, appearance, body, and muscle size/tone (Survey 2: N = 1601). Mean ages across samples for men and women ranged from 42-53. On the positive side, many men and women were somewhat-to-very satisfied with their appearance (67 %; 57 %), overall body (61 %; 46 %), weight (54 %; 42 %), and muscle tone/size (56 %; 41 %). Mean gender differences were small (Cohen's ds = 0.18-0.32), as were sexual orientation differences within each gender (ds = |0.00-0.25|). Looking at negative body image, fewer men than women were somewhat-to-very unhappy with their appearance among married (19 %; 29 %) and single participants (29 %; 35 %), and fewer men were somewhat-to-extremely dissatisfied with their appearance (18 %; 24 %), body (27 %; 39 %), weight (36 %; 49 %), muscle tone/size (27 %; 41 %). Nearly one-fifth of men (18 %) and one-fourth of women (27 %) were very-to-extremely dissatisfied with at least one of these traits, highlighting the importance of body image interventions.

Self-perceptions in children with probable developmental coordination disorder with and without overweight

BACKGROUND

Children with probable developmental coordination disorder (pDCD) experience motor problems that negatively influence their self-perceptions and increase the risk to develop overweight due to physical inactivity. Whether overweight in children with pDCD has an additional impact on their self-perceptions is unclear. Insight in this impact would provide vital information for diagnostics and interventions to enhance physical activity in children with pDCD and overweight.

AIMS

Investigate differences in self-perceptions between children with pDCD and overweight (pDCD-O), children with pDCD without overweight (pDCD-NO), and typically developing children (TD).

METHODS AND PROCEDURES

A total of 366 children (188 boys/178 girls), aged between 7 and 13 years, participated in this study. Thirteen children were categorized as pDCD-O, 51 children as pDCD-NO, and 302 children as TD. Self-perceptions were assessed with the Self-Perception Profile for Children.

OUTCOMES AND RESULTS

Children with pDCD-O perceived themselves lower in social acceptance than children with pDCD-NO and TD children. Children with pDCD-NO perceived themselves lower in athletic competence than TD children, but not than children with pDCD-O. No differences were found for perceived physical appearance and global self-esteem.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

Overweight has an additional negative impact on perceived social acceptance in children with pDCD.

The Development of Multiple Self-Concept Dimensions During Adolescence

The purpose of this research was to analyze the development of self-concept during adolescence. Participants included 484 teenagers (226 boys and 258 girls) from middle-class families in the Basque Country region of Spain (M_age  = 14.99, SD = 1.81 in Time 1 and M_age  = 15.64, SD = 1.80 in Time 2). Longitudinal analysis found differences in the general school dimension. Six dimensions (math, verbal, general school, physical abilities, parent relationships and same-sex relationships) reported a linear trend with a decreasing monotonic pattern; self-esteem fit a cubic trend and physical appearance a quadratic trend line. Males showed higher means in self-esteem, math, physical abilities, physical appearance, emotional stability and parent relationships; and females had higher values in verbal and general school.

Contingencies of Self-Worth and Global Self-Esteem Among College Women: The Role of Masculine and Feminine Traits Endorsement

The study examined the relative importance of seven contingencies of self-worth of Polish college women's (appearance, others' approval, competition, academic competencies, family support, virtue, God's love), as well as the associations between preference for particular contingencies and global self-esteem. Additionally, the predictive role of the self-assignment of masculine and feminine traits for both contingencies of self-worth and global self-esteem was investigated. The participants were one hundred and ninety-four Polish women in emerging adulthood (aged from 19 to 26; M = 21.36; SD = 1.67). Participants provided self-reports of self-ascription of masculine and feminine traits, the contingencies of self-worth, and self-esteem. Obtained results showed that the family support contingency of self-worth was the most preferred one, followed by virtue contingent self-worth, academic competencies, competition, and appearance contingencies of self-esteem, while the less preferred contingencies were: others' approval and God's love. Appearance and others’ approval contingencies of self-worth correlated negatively with self-esteem. Masculine traits were positively linked to competition contingency of self-worth, but negatively to physical appearance self-worth contingency and others’ approval self-worth contingency, whereas feminine traits were positively correlated with both physical appearance self-worth contingency and others’ approval self-worth contingency. The findings showed the positive associations between self-ascription of traits regarded to be masculine and self-esteem, and a lack of significant associations between self-description of feminine traits and self-esteem. Structural equation modeling demonstrated predictive role of masculine traits for self-esteem when feminine traits’ self-ascription and contingencies of self-worth were controlled.

Self-Competence and Depressive Symptoms in Middle-Late Adolescence: Disentangling the Direction of Effect

This study examined the temporal relation between self-competence (academic, social, athletic, physical appearance, and close friend) and depressive symptoms in a large, diverse community sample of 636 adolescents. Surveys were administered to all 10th- and 11th-grade students at participating high schools at baseline (mean age = 16.10, SD = .71) and 1 year later. Girls reported higher levels of self-competence in close friendships and more depressive symptoms, whereas boys reported higher levels of self-competence in athletics and physical appearance. However, there were no gender differences in the associations between self-competence and depressive symptoms. Results from autoregressive, cross-lagged path analyses indicated that depressive symptoms predicted self-competence more consistently than self-competence predicted depressive symptoms during middle-late adolescence. Implications for prevention are discussed.