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Introduction
Self-esteem is a critical factor in the overall well-being of mental health. Self-esteem influences an individuals resilience to stressful situations and ability to adapt to different conditions and stages in life, which affects their emotional state. Individuals with high self-esteem tend to be proactive, confident, happy, and outgoing, while those with lowered self-esteem are subdued, sad, and socially conscious. Hence, low self-esteem has been suggested as an etiological factor in various mental disorders and addictive behaviors such as alcoholism. At the same time, low self-esteem plays a significant role in the quality of life of patients with psychological disorders. Despite the assumptions linking low self-esteem to psychological problems, the belief remains uncertain, demanding in-depth research to clarify and establish the phenomena as a significant cause of mental incapacitation. Therefore, this paper analyses the connection of low self-esteem to mental disorders to provide insight into whether lowered self-esteem significantly influences mental disorders and the quality of life of patients with psychological problems.
Depression and Anxiety Disorders
Low self-esteem has been consistent as a causative factor for several psychological disorders. Mental illnesses associated with low self-esteem include anxiety, depression, eating disorders, stress, obsessive-compulsive disorders, and suicidal ideations. Numerous research has documented a positive correlation between self-esteem issues and depression (Nguyen et al., 2019; van Tuijl et al., 2020). Individuals with low self-esteem tend to develop depressive disorders characterized by mood swings, apathy, and feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness. Low self-esteem causes depressive disorders and anxiety when a person undergoes challenging situations, such as failing academics or job promotions, leading to guilt and inferiority. A study by Zhou et al. (2018) shows that teenagers with low self-esteem are more vulnerable to depression than those with high self-concepts. Students who reported depressive symptoms were characterized by low academic performance, causing low self-esteem and self-consciousness among their peers. Hence, low self-esteem causes depression, which may aggravate lifes challenges and failures.
In turn, major depressive symptoms and depressive subtypes may lead to low self-esteem. According to Kurtovi et al. (2019), major depression is a causal factor of low self-esteem, which may influence the development of other mental conditions such as suicidal ideation. Feeling inferior, guilty, and worthless reinforces depressive symptoms, which lower self-esteem. In this regard, low self-esteem and depressive symptoms reinforce each other, leading to significant mental disorders.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorders
Perfectionism plays a significant role in developing an individuals personality and psychology. These aspects can lead to mental awareness or incapacitations, such as obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD) due to personality issues. Low self-esteem has been associated with vulnerability to obsessive disorders as a significant mediating factor (Miegel et al., 2020). Individuals with low self-concepts may feel unworthy and inadequate, leading to repeated compulsions to meet their desired level of perfection. Miegel et al. (2020) suggest that individuals with low self-esteem demonstrate high aggressiveness as a defense mechanism compared to those with high esteem. Therefore, the individual may feel guilty and unworthy after a confrontation leading to immoral thoughts and avoidance behavior, which may result in obsessive compulsions. For instance, the individual may start removing dangerous objects, such as knives, from their vicinity, creating a habit that may become an obsession. In other studies, research shows that individuals with obsessive compulsions equate their imperfection to failure, which lowers their self-esteem which causes them to feel unworthy. Thus, low self-esteem plays a role in obsessive implosions, whereas individuals with OCD may experience feelings of unworthiness, leading to low self-esteem.
Implications of Diversity
Various implications on diversity can be drawn from the literature discussing the association of low self-esteem with psychological problems. The most distinct conclusion for research shows that adolescents and young adults are the most affected individuals experiencing mental disorders due to low self-esteem. Numerous studies have shown that teenagers, particularly those in high school and undergraduate programs, exhibit signs of psychological problems related to issues with self-esteem (Kurtovi et al., 2018; Nguyen et al., 2019; Zhou et al., 2018). Young adults and adolescents have self-esteem issues due to physiological and social changes that they go through, which may lead to feelings of self-consciousness and self-worth, affecting their confidence. Nguyen et al. (2019) attribute low self-esteem among young adults and adolescents as a cultural factor influencing their upbringing and self-with. For instance, children brought up in societies that assume silence, obedience, and non-assertiveness are qualities of decency may face adaptation challenges in a diverse world, leading to low self-esteem.
Conversely, adolescents and young adults experience psychological disorders due to low self-esteem associated with social, academic, and professional influences. Hence, they are prone to psychological disorders, which affect them into young adulthood and may lead to significant psychological disorders if they fail to adjust to the changing situation. Apart from age, there are significant differences in how low self-esteem affects individuals from diverse genders. Numerous studies show variations in self-esteem between genders and their association with mental incapacities.
Generally, females demonstrate high levels of low self-esteem compared to males, making them more prone to psychological problems. Zhou et al. (2019) found that female students showed symptoms of mental incapacitation, such as depression and stress, compared to male students due to self-esteem issues. In other studies, females have a higher tendency to develop social anxiety and eating disorders than males due to low self-esteem (Kurtovi et al., 2018). The data show that males are less affected by issues with self-esteem, leading to significantly lower rates of psychological problems. Nonetheless, Nguyen et al. (2019) argue that the disparity may be due to socio-cultural issues, which may influence their self-esteem and the development of mental incapacitations. For instance, female students face different challenges than male students due to gender roles where girls and women may multi-task between domestic chores and studying. Similarly, females in male-dominated courses such as engineering and medicine may get depressed when they fail, leading to low self-concept and increasing their risk of developing other mental disabilities such as stress and suicidal ideations.
Potential Applications of the Belief in Careers
Low self-esteem affects various aspects of an individuals life and ability to perform effectively in certain areas. Self-esteem influences a persons academic, professional, and social prowess and achievements. Individuals with lowered self-esteem are less proactive, which may be applied in their careers, leading to incompetence, burnout, and feelings of inferiority. The healthcare sector is among careers that are affected by low self-esteem. According to Johnson et al. (2020), low self-esteem plays a significant role in the emotional stability of healthcare workers, which may lead to stress and anxiety symptoms. The industry is characterized by sensitive and life-threatening situations that require accuracy in prognosis and caregiving. Burnout from the vast workload may lead to inadequate patient care and accidents in diagnosis and prognosis, leading to adverse effects. Hence, healthcare workers who fail in their duties may feel worthless and guilty, leading to depressive symptoms.
Conversely, the hierarchical positions in medical care and job descriptions may lead to self-consciousness and burnout, which risks low self-esteem. Johnson et al. (2020) studies show that the hierarchy of medical professionals may be intimidating to workers in lower positions, making them vulnerable to mistakes and self-esteem issues. Healthcare professionals with low self-esteem is more likely to experience psychological disorders like stress, depression, and anxiety. Likewise, stress is a leading cause of burnout, which may negatively affect the quality of healthcare practices. Therefore, the health sector should ensure maximum cooperation among staff to avoid burnout, low self-esteem, and its associated effects.
Ethical Issues
All studies in the literature above adhered to the ethical standards of research. The studies involved human participants who participated willingly, allowing the collection of relevant evidence. The pieces of literature have protected the participants privacy by concealing their personal information and disclosing information consented to by the participants. Gender equality is demonstrated in literature, ensuring adequate comparisons and variations to understand how low self-esteem affects people of diverse genders. Therefore, the information is credible and reliable, making the paper authentic.
Conclusion
Low self-esteem plays a significant role in the onset of psychological disorders. Individuals with low self-concepts are susceptible to mental disorders such as OCD, depression, stress, and anxiety disorders. The concept causes OCD due to low self-worth and guilt, which may lead to repeating the same activity to achieve perfectionism. Low self-esteem is associated with depressive symptoms, stress, and anxiety due to feelings of apathy, inferiority, and shame. Studies have shown that females experience high levels of low self-esteem, leading to a high prevalence of psychological disorders among women and girls. Consequently, low self-esteem develops during adolescence, which may affect individuals into adulthood, leading to significant psychological problems such as stress. Low self-esteem negatively affects individuals in various careers, including the healthcare sector. Health professionals experiencing low self-esteem are vulnerable to stress and emotional burnout, which adversely affects their service delivery. Generally, low self-esteem is associated with mental issues at different degrees, making it a significant contributor to psychological problems.
References
Johnson, A. R., Jayappa, R., James, M., Kulnu, A., Kovayil, R., & Joseph, B. (2020). Do low self-esteem and high stress lead to burnout among health-care workers? Evidence from a tertiary hospital in Bangalore, India. Safety and Health at Work, 11(3), 347352. Web.
Kurtovi, A., Vukovi, I., & Gaji, M. (2018). The effect of locus of control on University Students Mental Health: Possible mediation through self-esteem and coping. The Journal of Psychology, 152(6), 341357. Web.
Miegel, F., Moritz, S., Wagener, F., Cludius, B., & Jelinek, L. (2020). Self-esteem mediates the relationship between perfectionism and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Personality and Individual Differences, 167, 110239. Web.
Nguyen, D. T., Wright, E. P., Dedding, C., Pham, T. T., & Bunders, J. (2019). Low self-esteem and its association with anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation in Vietnamese secondary school students: A cross-sectional study. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 10. Web.
van Tuijl, L. A., Bennik, E. C., Penninx, B. W., Spinhoven, P., & de Jong, P. J. (2020). Predictive value of implicit and explicit self-esteem for the recurrence of depression and anxiety disorders: A 3-year follow-up study. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 129(8), 788798. Web.
Zhou, J., Li, X., Tian, L., & Huebner, E. S. (2018). Longitudinal association between low selfesteem and depression in early adolescents: The role of rejection sensitivity and loneliness. Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, and Practice, 93(1), 5471. Web.
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