Relationship between self-esteem, social appearence anxiety, depression and anxiety in adolescent and young adult women

Abstract

Objective: Self-esteem, is the approval of the self-concept by evaluating himself that defines person to be self-satisfied, likeable, lovable, self confident without seeing one's self inferior or superior. Higher self-esteem is associated with positive body image, lower self-esteem is associated with negative body image. Depression is a clinical syndrome that might deteriorate self esteem. In this research we aimed to determine the effects of depresssion and anxiety symptoms on self-esteem and social appearance anxiety.

Methods: One hundred and seventy six randomly selected participants between the ages of 12-24 those admitted to Ankara Zekai Tahir Burak Women Health Education and Research Hospital Youth Center and accepted to participate the research were taken to the study. Participants were asked to fullfill sociodemographic data form, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), Social Appearance Anxiety Scale (SAAS), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI).

Results: Regarding to the relationship between RSES, SAAS, BDI and BAI, strongly positive correlation was found. Level of income and parents education is negatively correlated with all inventory scores. According to the lineary regression analyses BDI scores positively predicted RSES and SAAS scores, level of income negatively predicted SAAS scores and losing the effects of significancy of other correlations were shown. Also SAAS and RSES scores were positively correlated with each other.

Conclusion: This research shows that depression severity has a worsening effect on social appearance anxiety and self-esteem. Economic difficulties increase social appearance anxiety. Also social appearance anxiety and self-esteem are related with each other. We think especially in countries majority with young generations such as Turkey, according to researches on relationship between these clinical entities goverments might develop individual, family, and psychosocial rehabilatiton based social programs, those positively affect the mental health of young people and help them in their future lives to become happier and healthier individuals.