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Low self‐esteem as a vulnerability differentially predicts symptom dimensions of depression in university students in C hina: A 6‐month longitudinal study
Author(s) -
Zheng Xinyue,
Wang Danyang,
Yu Ping,
Yao Shuqiao,
Xiao Jing
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
psych journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.417
H-Index - 14
eISSN - 2046-0260
pISSN - 2046-0252
DOI - 10.1002/pchj.73
Subject(s) - depression (economics) , psychology , affect (linguistics) , clinical psychology , self esteem , vulnerability (computing) , longitudinal study , depressive symptoms , interpersonal communication , psychiatry , medicine , anxiety , social psychology , computer security , communication , pathology , computer science , economics , macroeconomics
This 6‐month longitudinal study examined how self‐esteem as a vulnerability differentially predicts symptom dimensions of depression in a sample of university students from H unan Province, C hina. Baseline and 6‐month follow‐up data were obtained from 659 university students. During an initial assessment, participants completed measures assessing their low self‐esteem, depressive symptoms, and the occurrence of daily hassle. Participants subsequently completed measures assessing daily hassle and depressive symptoms once per month for 6 months. Higher low self‐esteem scores were associated with greater increases in the somatic complaints and positive affect dimensions, but not the depressed affect and interpersonal problem dimensions of depressive symptoms following daily hassle in C hinese university students. The results of the current study suggest that low self‐esteem plays a significant role in the etiology and course of depressive symptoms that develop in response to exposure to daily hassles. Consistent with the vulnerability‐stress model of depression, the results suggest that low self‐esteem serves as a risk factor and daily hassles serve as a precipitating factor.