Self-esteem and vulnerability to depression: the concurrent validity of interview and questionnaire measures

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Mental Health Research

Background:

• Self-esteem is a key factor in depression.
• Previous research shows mixed results on self-esteem measures predicting depression.
• Early adversity and negative relationships are known risk factors for depression.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the predictive validity of two self-esteem measures (Rosenberg's questionnaire and SESS) for depression risk factors.
• To determine which self-esteem measure uniquely predicts depression when controlling for other factors.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 146 women.
• Assessed self-esteem using Rosenberg's self-esteem questionnaire and the Self-Evaluation and Social Support Instrument (SESS).
• Examined the association between self-esteem measures and depression risk factors (early adversity, negative relationships).

Main Results:

• Both self-esteem measures were related to early adversity and negative relationships.
• Only the SESS uniquely predicted depression risk factors when both measures were considered together and current depression was controlled.
• The SESS accounted for unique variance in predicting depression risk.

Conclusions:

• The SESS is a more effective predictor of depression than global self-esteem questionnaires.
• The SESS's effectiveness stems from its focus on specific, real-life self-dissatisfaction, making it less susceptible to mood fluctuations.
• Clinical interview measures of self-esteem may offer superior insights into depression vulnerability compared to questionnaires.