Does Self-Esteem Moderate the Relations among Perceived Stress, Coping, and Depression?.

This study examined self-esteem as a moderator of the influence of perceived stress and coping on symptoms of depression in a sample of 713 college students. The results suggest that self-esteem may play an important role in the development of depressive symptoms in college students through interactions with perceived stress and coping. If an individual does not believe he or she is competent, significant or worthy, heightened perceived stress can be expected to occur. Similarly, people low in self-esteem may turn to avoidance behaviors as a way to escape or cope with the negative feelings associated with low self-worth. The implication of this research for reducing symptoms of depression among students rests on the modifiability of perceived stress on one hand, and improving coping skills on the other--both of which may be assisted by improving students' self-esteem. Key Words: Stress, coping, self-esteem, depression, college students ********** Research has shown that most college students experience moderate or serious stress and that students are among the age group most likely to have major depression (Blazer, Kessler, McGonangle, & Swartz, 1994; Furr, Westfeld, McConnell, & Jenkins, 2001). Of the millions of students enrolled in institutions of higher education across the United States, a great many report feeling stressed and overwhelmed by school, engaging in maladaptive coping behaviors, and experiencing depression during their undergraduate education (ACHA-NCHA, 2010; Robotham & Julian, 2006). Moreover, the prevalence and severity of stress and depressive symptoms among college students appears to be rising (Benton, Robertson, Tseng, Newton, & Benton, 2003; Eisenberg, Golberstein, & Gollust, 2007; Hyun, Quinn, Madon, & Lustig, 2006). Given the high rates of stress and depression among students, research is needed to identify factors that contribute to or protect against stress and depression. Conceptual Overview of Stress The transactional model of stress and coping forwarded by Lazarus and Folkman (1984) defines stress as an imbalance between people's perception of the demands placed upon them and their interpretation of the resources available to cope with those demands. The model further suggests that personal internal resources such as self-esteem, a positive or negative attitude toward oneself (Rosenberg, 1965), facilitate both the evaluation of demands and the process of coping (Suls, David, & Harvey, 1996). In particular, high levels of self-esteem may lessen perceived stress and facilitate adaptive coping. On the other hand, low self-esteem might induce one to see only negative aspects of a situation or to have a poor perception of his or her abilities to cope with stressful demands (Dumont & Provost, 1999). All told, self-esteem may lead to differential choices of coping strategies, and these strategies in turn, may lead to varying stress outcomes such as symptoms of depression (Aspinwall & Taylor, 1992). Empirical Overview The literature suggests that self-esteem is a protective factor that may help students more positively interpret events and themselves, influence their ability to cope with potentially stressful events, and differentially impact stress outcomes. Previous research, for example, has demonstrated significant negative relations between self-esteem and college stress (Dixon & Robinson Kurpius, 2008; Friedlander et al., 2007; Gloria & Robinson Kurpius, 2001; Gloria, Robinson Kurpius, Hamilton, & Wilson, 1999; Hudd et al., 2000; Wilburn & Smith, 20005). People with higher self-esteem also have been found to engage in more beneficial problem-focused coping such as active coping and planning than people with lower self-esteem (Griva & Anagnostopoulus, 2010; Lo, 2002; Scheier, Carver, & Bridges, 1994; Smith & Dust, 2005). Furthermore, many studies have found self-esteem significantly related to symptoms of depression (e. …