By Elischa
Introduction
As teenagers, we can often find ourselves struggling with our self-esteem, whether it's from something we see online or within our surroundings. In today's world, we frequently compare our lives to those around us, trying to find our self-worth amidst various pressures and expectations.
Understanding Self-Esteem
To truly understand self-esteem and its impact, we must delve into its underlying causes. We know that at least one-third to one-half of adolescents struggle with low self-esteem (Harter, 1990; Hirsch & DuBois, 1991), which affects mental health and academic performance. With depression rising among teens, recent data from Mental Health America (2024) shows that 20.17% of youth aged 12-17 experienced at least one major depressive episode (MDE) in the past year. Additionally, there has been a 59% increase in these episodes between 2007 and 2017.
A study of children aged 8 to 15 found the support of family, school, and peers each contributes to better mental health. Interestingly, school support alone significantly helped children with low family support.
Empirical Studies on Self-Esteem
Over the past 15 years, many empirical studies have associated our well-being with our self-esteem. Subjective well-being correlates with higher self-esteem, and higher self-esteem correlates with better mental health and happiness. Self-esteem plays a crucial role in the development of various mental disorders. According to the DSM IV, negative self-perception is key in diagnosing major depressive disorders, including:
● Manic and hypomanic episodes
● Dysthymic disorders
● Dissociative disorders
● Anorexia nervosa
● Bulimia nervosa
● Personality disorders like borderline, narcissistic, and avoidant behaviors
Building our self-esteem could drastically improve our overall health and well-being self-esteem. With the rise in teen suicide rates between 2000 and 2017 from 6.8 per 100,000 to 10.7 per
100,000, as a result of social pressures and familial issues, it has become the second leading cause of death among adolescents in recent years.
Improving Self-Esteem
So, what can be done to improve our self-esteem?
Knowing that you are worthy and deserving like anyone else in the world is one of the keys to increasing our feelings about ourselves. Adjusting or repairing our social relationships is essential, as sociometer theory expands on it as a crucial indicator of social acceptance.
Be with people who treat you well; some people can tear you down and we should instead surround ourselves with those with whom we can be ourselves around. In doing so, we create a positive space for personal growth.
Keep in mind that failing to act increases your likeliness of rejection; on the contrary, taking positive actions and surrounding yourself with supportive people can lead to acceptance and healthier self-esteem.
Reference
1. Harter, S. (1990). Causes, correlates, and the functional role of global self-worth: A life-span perspective. In R. J. Sternberg & J. Kolligian Jr. (Eds.), Competence considered (pp. 67-97). Yale University Press.
2. Self-esteem in early adolescence: The identification and prediction of contrasting longitudinal trajectories. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 20(1), 53-72. Mental Health America. (2024).
3. Youth data
2024.https://www.mhanational.org/issues/2024/mental-health-america-youth-data 4. MacDonald, G., & Leary, M. R. (2012). Individual differences in self-esteem. In M. R. Leary & J. P. Tangney (Eds.), Handbook of self and identity (pp. 401-418). The Guilford Press. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.78.2.272
5. Twenge, J. M., & Campbell, W. K. (2018). The age of anxiety? The impact of social media on mental health. Psychological Science, 29(3), 1-8.
doi:10.1177/0956797617724203
6. KidsHealth. (n.d.). Self-esteem. Retrieved from
7. Choosing Therapy. (2021). Social media & self-esteem: 8 possible impacts. https://www.choosingtherapy.com/social-media-self-esteem/
8. ACT for Youth. (2003). Self-esteem.
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