Depressive Mood Reactions to Failure in the Achievement Domain: A Test of the Integration of the Hopelessness and Self-Esteem Theories of Depression

This prospective study tested the diathesis-stress and causal mediation components of the integration of the hopelessness and self-esteem theories of depression. One hundred and thirty-six high school seniors applying early decision to the University of Pennsylvania completed measures of depressed mood, hopelessness, self-esteem, and depressogenic inferential styles 1–8 weeks before receiving their admissions decision (Time 1). The assessment of self-esteem and depressogenic inferential styles was preceded by a priming task designed to activate latent cognitive vulnerability factors. In addition, participants completed measures of mood and hopelessness shortly after they received their admissions decision (Time 2) and 4 days later (Time 3). In line with the diathesis-stress component of the theory, depressogenic inferential styles about consequences, causes, and the self for achievement events interacted with low self-esteem to predict enduring depressive mood reactions (Time 3) in negative outcome students. In addition, in partial support of the causal mediation component of the theory, in negative outcome students with low self-esteem, the relationship between depressogenic inferential styles and enduring depressive mood reactions was partially mediated by hopelessness.     

Predictors of depression and life satisfaction in visually impaired people

Background: Visual impairment can lead loss of functional ability, necessity of accommodations and assistive technologies or having to rely on others for help. This can bring about feelings of sadness, dependency, inadequacy, and fear, which can put a person at risk for depression and affect one’s satisfaction with life.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to examine the effects of socio-demographic factors, disability-related factors, optimism, pessimism, self-esteem and social support on depression, and life satisfaction in visually impaired people.

Methods: A total of 94 visually impaired people completed the measures of socio-demographic and disability-related characteristics, optimism and pessimism, self-esteem, social support, depression and life satisfaction, administered by the authors. Correlational and hierarchical regression analysis was used to examine the relations and test the model for predicting depression and life satisfaction.

Results: The results have shown that depression was negatively related to the level of education, optimism, self-liking, self-competence, support from friends, family and coworkers, and positively related to comorbidity and pessimism. Life satisfaction was positively related to education, socio-economic status, optimism, self-liking, self-competence and support from friends, family and coworkers, and negatively to pessimism. Results have further shown that depression levels were predicted by education, comorbidity, optimism and self-liking, and that self-liking mediated the relationship between optimism and depression. Life satisfaction was predicted by optimism, pessimism, self-liking, friends’ support, and depression. Further analysis suggested that the path from optimism to life satisfaction goes through self-liking, friends’ support, and depression. Pessimism showed indirect effects through self-liking but also had direct effects on life satisfaction.

Conclusions: Focusing on optimism, pessimism, self-esteem, and social functioning of visually impaired is important in preventing depression and promoting life satisfaction, and should be a part of rehabilitation practices.

• Implications for Rehabilitation

• Screening for depression and mental health problems should be a part of rehabilitation process.

• Changes in the perception of future outcomes should be monitored and addressed throughout rehabilitation process in order to boost realistic optimism and prevent discouragement and hopelessness.

• Frequent feedback and positive reinforcement about a persons’ progress and ability should be given throughout rehabilitation process in order to promote positive view of oneself and prevent self-esteem problems.

• Visually impaired people should be encouraged to socialise outside of their families and participate in social activities. This can be integrated in rehabilitation process as a part of everyday homework.

     

成人婚姻态度与依恋及自尊和信任的关系

目的:探索成人的婚姻态度与依恋、自尊和信任的关系。方法:通过"问卷星"平台选取18～60岁成人450人(男106人,女344人;未婚108人,已婚322人,离异/丧偶20人),采用婚姻态度量表(MAS)、亲密关系经历量表(ECR)、自尊量表(SES)和信任量表(TS)进行调查。结果:分别以MAS总及一般婚姻观念、自我婚姻评价或展望得分为因变量进行回归分析,结果显示低依恋回避、高自尊、高信赖者的婚姻态度水平较高(β=-2.58、0.16、0.34);低依恋回避、高信赖者的一般婚姻观念水平较高(β=-1.51、0.22);低依恋回避、高自尊、高信赖者的自我婚姻评价或展望水平较高(β=-1.07、0.12、0.12)。结论:婚姻态度与成人依恋、自尊和信任有关,成人消极的婚姻态度可能与高依恋回避、低自尊和信任中的信赖有关,通过降低依恋回避、提高自尊和信赖水平,可能提升婚姻态度的积极性。     

Psychological Pathways to Paranoia and Psychotic-Like Experiences in Daily-Life: The Mediating Role of Distinct Affective Disturbances

Background and HypothesisInfluential models of psychosis indicate that the impact of putative causal factors on positive symptoms might be explained partly through affective disturbances. We aimed to investigate whether pathways from stress and self-esteem to positive symptoms, as well as reversal pathways from symptoms to stress and self-esteem, were mediated through specific affective disturbances across the extended psychosis phenotype.Study DesignUsing experience sampling methodology, 178 participants (65 high-schizotypy, 74 at-risk mental state, and 39 first-episode psychosis) were assessed on levels of momentary stress, self-esteem, anxiety, sadness, psychotic-like experiences (PLE), and paranoia. Multilevel mediation models were fit to examine indirect effects of each of these pathways. Considering evidence of mediation, each indirect pathway will be combined in a single model to explore their relative contributions.Study ResultsAnxiety, sadness, and self-esteem mediated the pathways from stress to PLE and paranoia in daily-life. In the pathway to paranoia, sadness, and self-esteem showed larger contributions than anxiety. Pathways from self-esteem to PLE and paranoia were mediated by anxiety and sadness, the later showing a larger contribution. Pathways from symptoms to stress, but not from symptoms to self-esteem, were differently explained by emotional states; sadness lost its mediating effect and anxiety was the most important mediator. Few differences across groups were found.ConclusionsThis study lends support to psychological models of psychosis that highlight the relevance of affective disturbances in the risk and expression of psychosis. Furthermore, specific influences of different negative emotional states were identified, which could enhance psychological treatments.     

Analysis of a Human Phenomenon: Self-Concept

This analysis of self-concept includes an examination of definitions, historical perspectives, theoretical basis, and closely related terms. Antecedents, consequences, defining attributes, and a definition were formulated based on the analysis. The purpose of the analysis was to provide support for the use of the label "self-concept"as a broad category that encompasses the self-esteem, identity, and body-image nursing diagnoses within Taxonomy I. This classification could allow the use of a broad diagnostic label to better describe conditions that necessitate nursing care. It may also further explain the relationships between and among those diagnoses that describe human responses to disturbance of any component of the self-concept.     

Interpersonal dependency, self-esteem and depression in primary alcoholism

This study was undertaken to clarify the relationship between alcoholism and depression by means of the personality traits interpersonal dependency and self-esteem. In a sample of 52 alcoholics that met Feighner's criteria for primary alcoholism, the subjects were assessed by means of the Zung Depression Self-rating Scale, the Hirschfeld Interpersonal Dependency Scale and the 23-item version of the Janis & Field Self-esteem Scale by Rimée & Leyens. By means of the score on the Zung scale the subjects were divided into depressive vs. non-depressive alcoholics. There were no intergroup differences in interpersonal dependency. However, the depressive alcoholics scored significantly lower on the self-esteem scale. The authors suggest that the level of self-esteem in alcoholics is a function of secondary depression, whereas the interpersonal dependency might be influenced by the pathological drinking pattern.     

陆军新兵自我和谐及其与自尊关系研究

目的了解陆军新兵自我和谐状况及其与自尊关系。方法采用自尊量表和自我和谐量表,统一指导语后对293名陆军某部新兵进行团体施测。结果 (1)一般人口学资料对新兵的自尊、自我和谐状况无明显影响(P>0.05)。(2)自我和谐总分低于野战部队军人自我和谐总分(P<0.01),自我与经验的不和谐、自我的刻板性均低于大学生该项常模,而自我灵活性高于大学生该项常模(P<0.01)。(3)高自尊新兵的自我和谐总分、自我与经验的不和谐、自我的刻板性均高于低自尊组,高自尊组自我灵活性低于低自尊组,差异均有统计学意义(P<0.01)。(4)自尊与自我和谐总分、自我与经验的不和谐、自我的刻板性呈正相关,与自我灵活性呈负相关(P<0.01)。结论陆军新兵的自我和谐程度高于野战部队军人和大学生群体;自尊与自我和谐呈负相关。     

Perspectives of Animal Assisted Activities on Empowerment,Self-Esteem and Communication With Caregivers on Elders in Retirement Homes

This qualitative study explores the potential benefits of animal assisted activities (AAA) on elders' empowerment, self-esteem, and quality of communication with caregivers in retirement homes. Although the link between self-esteem and AAA has been explored, this is not the case for empowerment and communication with caregivers. A total of 10 semistructured interviews were conducted in retirement homes in Ottawa. Results of the content analysis suggest that overall AAA has a positive influence on elder's empowerment and self-esteem but a relatively low impact on communication with caregivers. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.     

Exploring relationships between facets of self-esteem and drinking behavior among diverse groups of young adults

Theory and empirical evidence suggest that North American-based measures of self-esteem, which measure individualistic positive self-regard, may be less applicable to Eastern cultures. In the present exploratory study, we examined how different conceptualizations of self-esteem, as measured by the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale and the Collective Self-esteem (CSE) Scale, predicted drinking behavior among three groups of American college students (N = 326) with varying ethnicities: White, Korean, and Chinese/Taiwanese. Hierarchical negative binomial regression was employed to evaluate these relations. Ethnic identity was controlled for in all analyses. Findings indicated that while global self-esteem was positively associated with drinking for the whole sample, ethnicity moderated this relationship such that global self-esteem was related to drinking for White participants but not for their Chinese/Taiwanese counterparts. In addition, while CSE did not associate with drinking for the whole sample, effects emerged for specific ethnicities. Specifically, private CSE was associated with less drinking for Korean and Chinese/Taiwanese participants. Depending on specific Asian ethnicity, public CSE served as a risk (Korean participants) or a protective factor (Chinese/Taiwanese participants) for drinking. Findings suggest that above and beyond ethnic identity, differential relationships between facets of self-esteem and drinking behavior may exist among White, Korean, and Chinese/Taiwanese young adults. Intervention and prevention programs should develop strategies to help Chinese/Taiwanese and Korean American young adults cultivate protective factors within domains of CSE.     

Test anxiety and self-esteem in senior high school students: a cross-sectional study

Purpose: In this study, it is aimed to determine the level of test anxiety and self-esteem in the high school students preparing for the university exam in Bitlis, Turkey, and to investigate the effect of test anxiety on self-esteem.

Material and methods: Seven-hundred and twenty-four high school students who were preparing for the university entrance examination in Bitlis participated in the study. A questionnaire which includes socio-demographic data form, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and Revised Test Anxiety Scale was prepared as an e-questionnaire for the students to fill easily and uploaded to the Bitlis State Hospital's website. Schools were called and informed for the students to fill out the e-questionnaire on the Internet.

Results: The most important findings from our study are that gender is influential on test anxiety and self-esteem score and test anxiety level are negatively correlated. It was observed that female students had more test anxiety than male students and those who had higher self-esteem had less test anxiety.

Conclusion: Consequently, our study shows that university entrance examination creates anxiety on students and reduces self-esteem, especially in female students.