Influence of Personal Factors on Health-Promoting Behavior in College Students: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

Purpose

This study aimed to determine how personal factors influence health-promoting behavior in university students using a structural equation modeling approach guided by the Health Promotion Model.

Patients and Methods

An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted. The study included 763 health science students from four universities in Cali, Colombia, who answered a questionnaire on personal factors and Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile II, Spanish version, which was validated in the study population. The direct and indirect relationships between personal factors and health-promoting behaviors were assessed using structural equation modeling. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics and structural equation modeling.

Results

A significant relationship was noted between the biological and psychological personal factors of the measurement model (p < 0.05). Psychological personal factors (self-esteem and perceived health status) positively influence health promoting behavior in university students (Hypothesis 2). It's not possible to demonstrate that health promoting behavior is positively influenced by personal biological factors (Hypothesis 1) and by personal sociocultural factors (Hypothesis 3).

Conclusion

There is a need for interventions that help improve the health-promoting lifestyle profile and are focused on enhancing the self-esteem and perceived health status of university students.

Physical activity and academic procrastination in Chinese college students: The serial mediating roles of physical self-perceptions and self-esteem

Studies have demonstrated that physical activity (PA) is negatively associated with academic procrastination. However, there is limited research on the mechanism underlying this relationship. This study aims to explore the relationship between PA and academic procrastination by investigating the roles of physical self-perceptions and self-esteem. 916 college students (650 females; Mean age = 19.11, SD age = 1.04) participated in the study. Participants completed the Physical Activity Rating Scale-3, the Physical Self-Perceptions Profile, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and the Academic Procrastination Questionnaires. Descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation, and mediating effect analysis were carried out using SPSS 25.0. The results showed that (a) PA, physical self-perceptions, and self-esteem were negatively correlated with academic procrastination, (b) self-esteem mediated the association between PA and academic procrastination, and (c) physical self-perceptions and self-esteem sequentially mediated the association between PA and academic procrastination. These findings have deepened our understanding on the relationship between PA and academic procrastination, highlighting important approaches to deal with academic procrastination.

Adolescence dropout risk predictors: Family structure, mental health, and self-esteem

This study investigated the predictive roles of family structure, mental health, and self-esteem in dropout risk among school-going adolescents in the Ibadan Municipality of Oyo State, Nigeria. A quantitative research design approach was adopted. A total of 287 school-going adolescents with consistent record of absenteeism were randomly selected from 14 schools in the Ibadan Municipality. A single adapted questionnaire divided into sections was used to collect data. The hypotheses raised were tested using the Pearson's product-moment correlation and multiple regression analysis. The study established that the relationship between dropout risk, lack of family structure (r = 0.491, n = 287, p < 0.05), mental health (r = 0.373, n = 287, p < 0.05), and self-esteem (r = 0.428, n = 287, p < 0.05) of the participants was significant. Furthermore, the joint influence of the predictive variables (family structure, mental health, and self-esteem) was also significant on dropout risk (R = 0.489, adjusted R² of 0.398). The study concludes that dropout risk among school-going adolescents can be safeguarded with factors such as family structure, mental health, and self-esteem as guided against. Hence, the family structure, mental health, and self-esteem are very crucial if the upsurge of school dropout that is bedeviling the society will be reduced to bearable level or eradicated.

Core self-evaluation and subjective wellbeing: A moderated mediation model

Objectives

Much has been written documenting the positive association between core self-evaluation and adolescents' subjective wellbeing, but little is known about the mediating and moderating mechanisms which underlay this relationship. This study constructed a moderated mediation model to examine whether meaning in life mediated the relationship between core self-evaluation and subjective wellbeing, and whether this mediating process was moderated by adolescents' self-esteem.

Methods

A sample of 1,185 adolescents (11-17 years of age, 51.3% females) completed the Core Self-Evaluation Scale (CSES), the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ), the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale (RSES), and the Index of Wellbeing Scale (IWS).

Results

The results indicate that after controlling for gender and age, core self-evaluation contributed significantly to subjective wellbeing (β = 0.900, p < 0.001). Meaning in life played a mediating role in the relationship between core self-evaluation and subjective wellbeing (β = 0.143, p < 0.01), with core self-evaluation indirectly affecting subjective wellbeing through meaning in life (β_indirect = 0.068, 95% CI = [0.024, 0.119]). Self-esteem moderated the path mediated by meaning in life, more specifically, the conditional indirect effect between core self-evaluation and wellbeing was significant for adolescents with medium and low self-esteem (effect = 0.056, 95% CI = [0.014, 0.106]; effect = 0.092, 95% CI = [0.034, 0.159]. Both mediating and moderating effects were shown to exist in the association between core self-evaluation and adolescents' subjective wellbeing.

Discussion

Based on the results, the following suggestions can be made: subjective wellbeing can be promoted through interventions such as enhancing adolescents' core self-evaluation and helping them understand the meaning in life, and that greater attention needs to be paid to adolescents with low self-esteem. The findings of this study helpful to clarify the mediation and moderating mechanism of the beneficial influence of adolescents' core self-evaluation on subjective wellbeing.

The development and correlated change of narcissism and self-esteem in adulthood

The conceptual and empirical overlap of grandiose narcissism and self-esteem is part of ongoing debate. Whereas cross-sectional findings suggest a moderate correlation between both constructs, evidence on the longitudinal relationship of narcissism and self-esteem is still lacking. Using data of two longitudinal studies consisting of more than 10,000 participants in adulthood, the aim of the present study was to investigate whether narcissism and self-esteem follow similar developmental patterns and whether longitudinal change in narcissism is related to longitudinal change in self-esteem. Participants provided self-ratings of global, agentic, and antagonistic narcissism as well as their general perception of self-esteem. The results of True Intraindividual Change Models showed that although narcissism and self-esteem were associated cross-sectionally, intraindividual change in narcissism was largely unrelated to intraindividual change in self-esteem, suggesting a predominantly independent development of both constructs. The findings contribute to a more profound understanding of the developmental similarities and idiosyncrasies of narcissism and self-esteem in adulthood.

Stress-Related Growth Among Transgender Women: Measurement, Correlates, and Insights for Clinical Interventions

Although transgender women (TGW), and especially TGW of color, are disproportionately exposed to discrimination and violence, many of them experience stress-related growth. However, little is known about the experience of stress-related growth and its correlates among TGW. Using data from a racially-diverse sample of 210 TGW, the short version of the Stress-Related Growth Scale was modified to assess growth as a result of coming to terms with one's transgender identity among TGW. The psychometric properties of the modified scale were examined, along with its associations with various cognitive, emotional, and social factors. A confirmatory factor analysis revealed a unidimensional factor, along with excellent reliability. A stepwise regression revealed that positive reappraisal, internal locus of control, social support, and emotional expression were associated with greater stress-related growth. Findings suggest that cognitive, emotional, and social resources are related to stress-related growth in TGW. Interventions to foster stress-related growth among TGW are discussed.

Developmental trajectories of self-esteem, the related predictors, and depression: A growth mixture modeling approach

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to identify sub-trajectory groups of self-esteem among adults aged 19-64 years and the factors impacting latent classes, as well as to assess differences in symptoms of depression.

METHODS

Research data from the Korea Welfare Panel Study were analyzed, including those from 8866 adults who participated in the 6th, 9th, 12th, and 15th waves. The growth mixture modeling analysis was used to identify latent classes of self-esteem trajectories.

RESULTS

Three classes of self-esteem trajectories were identified. The majority of adults (88.0%) reported stable high self-esteem over time. A second class (low-level increasing: 7.7%) reported low levels of self-esteem, which gradually increased to high levels by the end of the study. A third group, medium-level decreasing (4.3%), reported medium self-esteem levels, which decreased to the lowest level by the end of the study.

LIMITATIONS

The factors identified in previous studies as those closely associated with self-esteem, such as personality, quality of life, and life satisfaction, were not considered in this study. Additionally, although the absence or presence of chronic disease was included in the health factors, no further investigation was made to identify the effects of different chronic diseases on the dependent and outcome variables.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that interventions designed to prevent depression among adults who are older, unemployed, at risk of alcoholism, or dissatisfied with their health and relationships may be beneficial. This study identified a relationship between unstable self-esteem and the risk of depression.

Sexual minority young adults' perspectives on how minority stress and other factors negatively affect self-esteem: a qualitative interview study

Sexual minority young adults (lesbian, gay and bisexual), are at increased risk of experiencing mental health problems than their heterosexual peers. On average they also have lower self-esteem which may contribute to the development or maintenance of mental illnesses. Interventions to improve self-esteem could improve well-being and reduce mental ill-health risk in sexual minority young adults. It is important to understand the processes that contribute to lower self-esteem in this population. The present study aimed to explore these processes. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with a sample of 20 sexual minority young adults (age 16-24 years) with a range of self-esteem levels. Using thematic analysis, three overarching areas were idenitified: 'Negative social evaluations and reduced belonging', 'Striving and failing to meet standards', and 'Negative sexual orientation processes'. These findings have theoretical implications for minority stress models of mental health inequalities, highlighting the potential interaction between minority-specific and more general risk factors for mental health problems. Findings also have clinical implications for the development of tailored interventions to help improve low self-esteem in sexual minority young adults.

Effects of Multidimensional Self-Esteems on Health Promotion Behaviors in Adolescents

Objective

To explore the relationships between multidimensional self-esteems and health behaviors among adolescents by demographic background factors, so as to provide an important reference for the intervention of health promotion behavior and self-esteem education in the future.

Methods

Taking adolescents in Chongqing as the object, this paper investigates the students in 24 primary and secondary schools (half of health promotion schools and half of non-promotion schools) by means of Stratified random sampling, and Using SPSS 21.0 and AMOS 19.0 statistical analysis software to process the collected data.

Results

1) gender and age significantly affected adolescents' self-esteem and health promotion behavior, which showed that boys's perception of self-esteem was lower than that of girls, while girls were more likely to implement health promotion behavior than boys; 2) Children from two parent families or families with higher parental education are more able to implement health promotion behavior and enjoy higher self-esteem, while family economic status has no effect on adolescents' self-esteem and health promotion behavior; 3) Compared with students in ordinary schools, adolescents in health promotion schools (HPS) have higher self-esteem and can implement health promotion behavior more; 4) The higher the self-esteem of adolescents, the better their health promotion behavior; The higher the sense of interpersonal ability, the more able to implement social support behavior; The higher the sense of physical ability and physiological value, the more able to implement sports behavior; The higher the sense of academic ability, the more able to implement nutritional behavior; The higher the external recognition and physiological value, the better the performance of nutritional behavior and stress management; The higher the internal evaluation, the more able to implement health responsibility and exercise behavior.

Conclusion

Socio-economic background can indeed have a direct or indirect impact on adolescent health promotion behavior, and multidimensional self-esteem can explain about 70% of the variation of health promotion behavior, which seems to suggest that improving adolescent self-esteem is the focus of health promotion and health education in the future.

Self-Esteem and Oral Health-Related Quality of Life within a Cleft Lip and/or Palate Population: A Prospective Cohort Study

(1) Objective: To investigate the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) and self-esteem (SE) of a population with cleft lip and/or palate (CLP) and to compare it with a non-affected control cohort. (2) Materials and methods: This study comprised 91 CLP patients and a control group of 790 individuals, seeking orthodontic treatment. OHRQoL and SE were assessed by the Child’s Perception Questionnaire (CPQ) and the Dutch adaptation of the Harter’s Self-Perception Profile for Adolescents. Treatment need and self-perception of oral aesthetic were assessed using the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN) and the Oral Aesthetic Subjective Impact Scale (OASIS). Patients’ expectations and motivation for treatment were also scored. Linear models were used for statistical comparisons between groups. (3) Results: The cleft group scored higher in all domains of the CPQ, OASIS, IOTN and regarding SE for the domains of scholastic competence, athletic competence, physical appearance and behavioral conduct. The cleft group was not only more motivated and expected less discomfort during treatment but also had higher expectations for the treatment outcome. (4) Conclusions: The OHRQoL of CLP patients is strongly correlated with the presence of an oral cleft, while SE remains a personal resource not influenced by the malocclusion or medical condition.

School Dropout Intention and Self-esteem in Immigrant and Native Students Living in Poverty: The Protective Role of Peer Acceptance at School

The psychological well-being at school of immigrant students living in poverty is currently an understudied topic in developmental psychology. This is an important shortcoming because this population, which is rapidly increasing in many western countries, is in a double minority condition and has a greater risk of experiencing psychological distress at school, in comparison with their native peers. In order to improve our understanding on this issue, the present two-wave study investigated the prospective relationships between peer acceptance and two aspects of well-being at school—intention to drop out of school and negative self-esteem—specifically focusing on the differential effect of having (vs. not having) an immigrant background. The participants were 249 preadolescents and adolescents living in poverty (Mage = 12.76; SDage = 2.34; 41.8% girls; 19.3% immigrants) who were attending educational centres for disadvantaged minors. The poverty status of the participants was an inclusion criterion. A multilinear regression model with multigroup analysis was tested. As expected, the results showed that peer acceptance had a significant negative association with school dropout intentions and negative self-esteem only for immigrants, but not for natives. For immigrant students, the protective effect of peer acceptance was comparable to the stability over time of dropout intention and self-esteem, a result that has promising implications for prevention programs. The applied implications of the study for educational and clinical contexts are discussed.

Perceived Parental Support and Adolescents' Positive Self-Beliefs and Levels of Distress Across Four Countries

Previous research has shown that parental support has beneficial effects on the psychological well-being of adolescents. Going beyond prior research, the present study made distinctions between information, emotional, and financial parental support and examined adolescents from United States (N = 1,002), China (N = 1,172), South Korea (N = 3,993), and Japan (N = 1,112). The frequency and impact of different types of perceived parental support on adolescents’ positive self-belief and distress levels have been investigated. Consistent with the existing literature, the results showed American adolescents perceived greater emotional and informational support than others, while Chinese, Korean, and Japanese adolescents perceived greater tangible support compared to American adolescents. Notably, Chinese adolescents reported higher levels of parental support than other East Asian adolescents. The perceived parental support influenced positive self-beliefs equally across cultural groups, but informational support impacted distress to a greater degree for American adolescents than East Asian adolescents. The implications of the present research are discussed.

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.

The Impact of Failures and Successes on Affect and Self-Esteem in Young and Older Adults

Older adults are assumed to change their affect states in reaction to positive and negative stimuli across the life span. However, little is known about the impact of success and failure events on age-related changes in affect states and, particularly, in self-esteem levels. To fill this gap in the literature, in the present study changes in affect and self-esteem in 100 young (19–30 years) and 102 older adults (65–81 years) were assessed after participants experienced success and failure in a demanding cognitive task. Overall, the success-failure manipulation induced changes on affect states and on state self-esteem, not on trait self-esteem. Regarding age differences, older and young adults were affected to the same extent by experiences of successes and failures. Theoretical considerations of the empirical findings are provided in the general discussion.

Reported changes in oral health-related quality of life in children and adolescents before, during, and after orthodontic treatment: a longitudinal study

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the changes in oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) before, during, and after orthodontic treatment, determine the relationship with the original treatment need and evaluate the influence of self-esteem (SE).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

OHRQoL questionnaires were used in an ongoing observational prospective cohort study at baseline (T0), 1 year after start (T1), and 1 month after the end of active orthodontic treatment (T2). Participants were 11-16-year-old at baseline and 215 complete cases were obtained from a total of 498. OHRQoL was scored by using the Child Perception Questionnaire (CPQ11-14), SE was assessed by the Dutch adaptation of the Harter's Self-Perception Profile for Adolescents and treatment need was defined by the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN). The Oral Aesthetic Subjective Impact Scale (OASIS) was included to score perceived treatment need. Data were analyzed with Spearman correlation, Mann-Whitney U-test and linear models for longitudinal data.

RESULTS

A significant decrease in IOTN and in OASIS was noted from T0-T1-T2 (P < 0.0001). CPQ results show a decrease from T0 to T2, from T1 to T2 and an increase from T0 to T1 (P < 0.0001). This was valid for the overall CPQ scores and its subdomains except for emotional well-being (EW), which decreases from T0-T1-T2. A correlation was found between baseline SE and the change of total CPQ scores between T0 and T2, also for EW (r = 0.325 and r = 0.354).

CONCLUSIONS

OHRQoL ameliorates after orthodontic treatment. High baseline SE works as a protective factor for OHRQoL.

Change and Consistency of Self-Esteem in Early and Middle Adolescence in the Context of School Transition

Self-esteem is continuous and has stable characteristics, but it may also change, e.g., during transitions from one educational level to the next. In a prospective cross-sectional study over a year and a half, 250 Polish early adolescents (N = 109, 54 girls; mean age at T1 = 12.68 years, SD = 0.49) and middle adolescents (N = 141, 107 girls; mean age at T1 = 15.80, SD = 0.44) were tested three times using Harter’s Self-Perception Profile for Adolescents, assessing both global self-esteem and self-evaluation in eight domains. The change and consistency of self-esteem were analyzed, at both group and individual levels. At the group level, the following results were found: (1) continuity of self-esteem in five domains (scholastic competence, athletic competence, physical appearance, close friendship, and romantic appeal) and in global self-esteem and discontinuity in only three domains (social acceptance, job competence, and behavioral conduct); (2) significant inter-individual variation in the change not explained by age; and (3) higher self-esteem (in five domains) in early adolescents. At the individual level, the stability in most domains was weak, but was restored over the second year at the new school. The complexity of the developmental change and consistency in self-esteem in adolescence was highlighted, emphasizing the need for analyzing both group and individual change.

"It's like all of his attention is on you": A mixed methods examination of attachment, supportive nonparental youth-adult relationships, and self-esteem during adolescence

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to examine the relationship between attachment, supportive nonparental youth-adult relationships, and self-esteem during adolescence. First, in a quantitative path analysis, we found that perceived social support from nonparental adults partially mediated the relationship between adolescent attachment and self-esteem. In our follow-up mixed methods analysis, we analyzed youth reflections of support experienced in relationships with significant non-parental adults (VIPs). As compared to youth with positive attachment models, youth with negative attachment models reported fewer instances of emotional support but more instances of validation support. The youth with negative attachment models described (1) the importance of trust and (2) receiving emotional support specific to their needs. In instances of validation support, these youth described how their VIPs (1) provided them with honest and realistic feedback, (2) challenged their negative thinking and (3) created opportunities for them to recognize and showcase their strengths. Our findings underscore the importance of considering youths' individual attributes in the context of their ongoing relationships in order to gain a more nuanced understanding of the role and dynamics of supportive nonparental youth-adult relationships in youths' lives.

Self-esteem development in middle childhood: Support for sociometer theory

Though it is well-established that self-esteem develops from childhood well into old age, little is known about the processes that influence this change, especially among young populations. This international, cross-sequential study examined the development of self-esteem in 1599 second-graders (Age MT1 = 7.99, SDT1 = 0.52 years; 52% male) in the Netherlands and Germany over three years. Multilevel models revealed that mean-level trends in self-esteem were stable across time among all demographic groups, but that males and students in the Netherlands consistently had higher self-esteem than females and students in Germany. Further analyses examining the role of social support in self-esteem development demonstrated that individuals with better peer and family social support tended to have higher levels of self-esteem and that within-person changes in social support were directly related to changes in self-esteem level, providing support for sociometer theory. These findings suggest that demographic factors as well as social support are important predictors of self-esteem as early as middle childhood.

Self-Esteem in Children Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence: a Critical Review of the Role of Sibling Relationships and Agenda for Future Research

This paper provides a critical analysis of research on self-esteem in children exposed to intimate partner violence (IPV), with particular emphasis on the role of sibling relationships. Over 100 empirical and review articles published from 2000 to 2015 examining self-esteem in children exposed to IPV, the role of sibling relationships in the development of self-esteem, and the sibling relationships of children exposed to IPV, were reviewed. Research findings show that self-esteem is an important component of understanding children's positive adjustment and their adjustment difficulties. A substantial research literature also documents that siblings significantly influence one another's self-esteem; however, the potential risk or protective function of sibling relationships in the development of self-esteem in children and adolescents exposed to IPV has only been minimally investigated. This is a serious gap in the literature, as this information has significant potential for informing prevention and intervention programming. Recommendations for future research were provided.

Self-Esteem Trajectories and Their Social Determinants in Adolescents With Different Levels of Cognitive Ability

This study examines the development of self-esteem in a sample of 138 Australian adolescents (90 males; 48 females) with cognitive abilities in the lowest 15% (L-CA) and a matched sample of 556 Australian adolescents (312 males; 244 females) with average to high levels of cognitive abilities (A/H-CA). These participants were measured annually (Grade 7 to 12). The findings showed that adolescents with L-CA and A/H-CA experience similar high and stable self-esteem trajectories that present similar relations with key predictors (sex, school usefulness and dislike, parenting, and peer integration). Both groups revealed substantial gender differences showing higher levels of self-esteem for adolescent males remaining relatively stable over time, compared to lower levels among adolescent females which decreased until midadolescence before increasing back.

The development of global and domain self-esteem from ages 10 to 16 for Mexican-origin youth

The current study investigated the development of global and domain (academic, physical, same-sex peer relationship, opposite-sex peer relationship) self-esteem from age 10 to 16 in a sample of Mexican-origin adolescents. Participants’ ( N = 674) responses on the Self-Description Questionnaire (SDQ; Marsh, 2005) II-S showed moderate rank-order stability across four time points. In terms of mean-level change, global self-esteem and most forms of domain self-esteem decreased across adolescence; the one exception is that opposite-sex peer relationship self-esteem increased. As expected, there were individual differences in rates of change for all SDQ subscales. Most domain self-esteem subscales were concurrently related to global self-esteem ( r’s ranged from .18 to.87), but they did not predict changes in global self-esteem over time. Academic self-esteem had the strongest concurrent associations with global self-esteem. In general, there were no consistent gender differences in rank-order stability, mean levels, or change over time of global and domain self-esteem. These findings provide insight into the development of self-esteem in a rapidly-growing segment of the population of the United States.

Mental Health and Self-Esteem of Institutionalized Adolescents Affected by Armed Conflict

The primary purpose of this paper was to compare the epidemiology of mental health problems and self-esteem of conflict hit adolescents living in charitable seminaries with their counterparts brought up in natural homes. Substantive body of the literature illustrates the emotional and behavioral issues experienced by these adolescents. In this study, 27 adolescents from a charitable Muslim seminary and 30 adolescents from a regular school were recruited. Self-report measures and clinical interview were used to measure mental health and self-esteem. The findings indicate that adolescents in institution setting may not be having mental health and self-esteem-related issues when compared to adolescents living in intact by parent homes. While the authors acknowledge the limitations of the study, these findings need further research to examine the causes for these differences.

Self-esteem growth trajectory from adolescence to mid-adulthood and its predictors in adolescence

The present study examined the trajectory of self-esteem from adolescence to mid-adulthood and its predictors in adolescence in a prospective cohort sample with a 26-year follow-up. Participants of a Finnish cohort study in 1983 at 16 years (N = 2194) were followed up at ages 22 (N = 1656), 32 (N = 1471) and 42 (N = 1334) years. Self-esteem development was analyzed using latent growth curve models with parental socioeconomic status (SES), parental divorce, school achievement, daily smoking, and heavy drinking as time invariant covariates. Self-esteem grew linearly from 16 to 32 years, but stabilized after that with no growth between 32 and 42 years. Males had significantly higher self-esteem throughout the follow-up, although females had a faster growth rate. Better school performance and higher parental SES were associated with a higher initial level of self-esteem among both genders, while parental divorce among females and daily smoking among males were associated with a lower initial level of self-esteem. Among females the growth rate of self-esteem was practically unaffected by the studied covariates. Among males, however, the initial differences in self-esteem favouring those from a higher SES background were indicated to diminish, while the differences between non-smokers and smokers were indicated to increase. The studied adolescent covariates combined had only limited predictive value for the later self-esteem development. However, the effects of any covariate on the level and slope of the self-esteem trajectory, even if small, should be assessed in combination in order to identify whether they lead to converging, diverging or constantly equidistant self-esteem trajectories. The findings highlight the variety of roles that adolescent behaviours and social environments may have in the developmental process of self-esteem from adolescence into mid-adulthood.

The enemy within: the association between self-image and eating disorder symptoms in healthy, non help-seeking and clinical young women

BACKGROUND

Previous research has shown self-image according to the interpersonal Structural Analysis of Social Behavior model, to relate to and predict eating disorder symptoms and outcomes.

METHODS

We examined associations between self-reported self-image and ED symptoms in three groups of 16-25 year old females: healthy (N = 388), non help-seeking (N = 227) and clinical (N = 6384). Analyses were divided into age groups of 16-18 and 19-25 years, and the patient sample was divided into diagnostic groups.

RESULTS

Stepwise regressions with self-image aspects as independent variables and eating disorder symptoms as dependent showed that low self-love/acceptance and high self-blame were associated with more eating disorder symptoms in all groups, except older patients with bulimia nervosa where self-hate also contributed. Associations were generally weaker in the healthy groups and the older samples.

CONCLUSIONS

We put forward that older age, low desirability of symptoms, poorly working symptoms, and being acknowledged as ill, may weaken the association, with implications for treatment and prevention.

The Development of Self-Esteem

In this article, we review new insights gained from recent longitudinal studies examining the development of self-esteem and its influence on important life outcomes. The evidence supports the following three conclusions. First, self-esteem increases from adolescence to middle adulthood, peaks at about age 50 to 60 years, and then decreases at an accelerating pace into old age; moreover, there are no cohort differences in the self-esteem trajectory from adolescence to old age. Second, self-esteem is a relatively stable, but by no means immutable, trait; individuals with relatively high (or low) self-esteem at one stage of life are likely to have relatively high (or low) self-esteem decades later. Third, high self-esteem prospectively predicts success and well-being in life domains such as relationships, work, and health. Given the increasing evidence that self-esteem has important real-world consequences, the topic of self-esteem development is of considerable societal significance.

Personality and Psychopathology: A Stagnant Field in Need of Development

A dominant paradigm in psychopathology research proposes that individual differences in personality are centrally involved in the origins and manifestations of psychopathology, and structural models of personality and psychopathology have been extremely useful in helping to organize associations among many traits and disorders. However, these models merely describe patterns of covariation; they do not explain the processes by which these patterns emerge. We argue that the field is stagnated, as it is overly focused on the demonstration of concurrent associations and on confirming a spectrum model that proposes traits and disorders are manifestations of the same underlying constructs. We contend that if the field is to move toward an understanding of causal processes, it must integrate knowledge and principles of personality development and developmental psychopathology. To begin this integration, we review (1) normative trends in personality change, (2) age-related changes in the prevalence of disorders, and (3) the impact of onset and chronicity on the severity of disorders. We propose several developmental processes that may contribute to the co-development of personality and psychopathology. We then present novel empirical findings to illustrate how a developmental perspective on traits and disorders can inform new hypotheses, and propose principles and hypotheses that should guide future research.

Relationship between attributional style, perceived control, self-esteem, and depressive mood in a nonclinical sample: a structural equation-modelling approach

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to examine the intricate relationship between some personality traits (i.e., attributional style, perceived control over consequences, self-esteem), and depressive mood in a nonclinical sample (N= 334). Method. Structural equation modelling was used to estimate five competing models: two vulnerability models describing the effects of personality traits on depressive mood, one scar model describing the effects of depression on personality traits, a mixed model describing the effects of attributional style and perceived control over consequences on depressive mood, which in turn affects self-esteem, and a reciprocal model which is a non-recursive version of the mixed model that specifies bidirectional effects between depressive mood and self-esteem.

RESULTS

The best-fitting model was the mixed model. Moreover, we observed a significant negative effect of depression on self-esteem, but no effect in the opposite direction.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings provide supporting arguments against the continuum model of the relationship between self-esteem and depression, and lend substantial support to the scar model, which claims that depressive mood damages and erodes self-esteem. In addition, the 'depressogenic' nature of the pessimistic attributional style, and the 'antidepressant' nature of perceived control over consequences plead in favour of the vulnerability model.

Self-esteem across adulthood: the role of resources

It is still not well understood how and why developmental trajectories of self-esteem change, particularly in late life. We investigated the role of resources for self-esteem change across adulthood. In detail, we explored between-person differences in self-esteem levels and change in relation to resources with participants who ranged in age from 17 to 100 years. Study 1 consisted of a cross-sectional representative German sample of 12,609 participants, where we observed few age differences in mean levels of self-esteem across adulthood. Being married or in a relationship and positive subjective health were associated with higher levels of self-esteem. In addition, relations of resources of subjective health as well as neuroticism with self-esteem appeared to be smaller in late compared to young adulthood. Longitudinal studies including young (N = 338) and older adults (N = 325) indicated both reasonably high stability regarding rank-order and mean levels of self-esteem across 4 and 8 years. Again, age-differential resources appeared to be important for higher levels of self-esteem with education being related to self-esteem in young adults and subjective health in late life. However, no resource was associated with changes in self-esteem in either young or late adulthood. Overall, findings suggest that self-esteem levels are reflective of age-specific constraints and risks.

Peer acceptance protects global self-esteem from negative effects of low closeness to parents during adolescence and early adulthood

Having a distant relationship with parents seems to increase the risk of developing a more negative global self-esteem. This article describes a longitudinal study of 1,090 Norwegian adolescents from the age of 13–23 (54 % males) that explored whether peer acceptance can act as a moderator and protect global self-esteem against the negative effects of experiencing low closeness in relationships with parents. A quadratic latent growth curve for global self-esteem with closeness to parents and peer acceptance as time-varying covariates was modeled, taking partial measurement invariance in global self-esteem into account. Peer acceptance was found to have a general protective effect on global self-esteem for all adolescents. In addition, at most ages, peer acceptance was found to have a protective-stabilizing effect on the relationship between closeness to parents and global self-esteem. This indicates that peer acceptance can be an especially valuable source of global self-esteem when closeness to parents is low.