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Published on: March 1, 2019
Longitudinal Relations Between Adolescent Self-Esteem and Mental Health Concerns: The Mediation of Self-Control and
Dan Chen1, Qian Zhang2, Si Yu1
1Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Psychology Education (Beijing Normal University), Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
Introduction:
Adolescents' self-esteem is often associated with their mental health, and believed to be a protective factor against depression, anxiety, and stress. However, the underlying mechanisms of this relationship warrant further exploration. Employing a longitudinal design, this study investigates the relations between self-esteem and mental health in adolescents, considering the mediating influence of self-control and the moderating effect of parental autonomy support.
Methods:
A total of 1260 adolescents from China (45.9% male, 54.1% female, Mage = 15.98, SDage = 0.97) participated in this study, completing self-reported questionnaires assessing self-esteem, self-control, parental autonomy support, and mental health issues (i.e., depression, anxiety, and stress) across three time points over a 6-month period (with a 3-month interval between assessments).
Results:
Controlling for baseline levels of depression, anxiety, and stress, adolescents' self-esteem reported at wave 1 positively correlated with depression (β = -0.17, p < 0.001), anxiety (β = -0.17, p < 0.001), and stress (β = -0.17, p < 0.001) in wave 3. Furthermore, self-control reported at wave 2 mediated these relations. Besides, perceived parental autonomy support was associated with a stronger link between self-esteem and self-control.
Conclusion:
The present study indicates the protective roles of self-esteem and self-control in relation to adolescents' mental health problems, while emphasizing the potential of a supportive family environment to strengthen these associations. The findings hold implications for the development of prevention and intervention strategies targeting adolescents' mental well-being.
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