Self-esteem in abused chemically dependent adolescents

In a random sample of 500 admissions to a residential treatment center for chemically dependent adolescents. 150 cases of physical and sexual abuse had been identified. These adolescents were matched for age, race, and socioeconomic status, with two comparison groups: a group of nonabused chemically dependent adolescents and a group of nonabused, nonchemically dependent adolescents. Self-esteem was measured, utilizing the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale (TSCS), which was administered to all subjects. The abused, chemically dependent adolescents were found to demonstrate significantly lower self-esteem on all subscales when analyzed against these two comparison groups. There were negligible differences within the abused group when the TSCS scores were analyzed according to type of abuse. Aggressive/physically abused adolescents scored higher on the Physical Self subscale and the incest group scored significantly lower on the Identity subscales. These results suggest that abuse is equally devastating, regardless of the type of abuse, e.g., physical, sexual, incest, and has a long-lasting impact on self-esteem.