A comparison of self-esteem lability and low trait self-esteem as vulnerability factors for depression.

Abstract

Self-esteem lability (SEL), defined as daily event-related variability in state self-esteem, and low trait self-esteem (TSE) were assessed among 205 male and female undergraduates who were currently depressed (CD), previously depressed (PD), and never depressed (ND). SEL scores were derived for the effect of positive, negative, and combined events on state self-esteem over 30 days. Consistent with psychodynamic and cognitive theories, SEL was found to be a better index of depression proneness than TSE. PD Ss showed higher lability on all SEL scores than ND controls but did not differ from controls on TSE. Ss were reassessed 5 months later, and new cases showed higher premorbid SEL than ND controls but did not differ from controls on premorbid TSE. SEL at Time 1 was found to increase risk for depression at Time 2 among Ss reporting high life stress at Time 2. Theoretical and methodological implications are discussed.

Predictors of Self-Esteem Variability

“…Roberts and Monroe (1992) found that trait self-esteem was not a strong predictor of depressive symptoms 1 week after an academic stressor, whereas variability in self-esteem (standard deviation of scores across a 3-week assessment) was a significant predictor, though only for those who were initially asymptomatic. Butler et al (1994) found that both currently and previously depressed college students had higher variability than did a never-depressed group, but the two depressed groups did not differ from each other. Self-esteem variability (but not trait self-esteem) interacted with life stress to predict depression symptoms over a 5-month follow-up period.…”

“…Most studies on self-esteem variability have focused on how it interacts with life events to predict future depression (Butler et al, 1994;Roberts & Gotlib, 1997;Roberts & Kassel, 1997;Roberts & Monroe, 1992). In contrast, we examined adverse events as a predictor of self-esteem variability.…”

“…Because previous research suggests that the relation between SE variability and subsequent depressive symptoms is strongest for those with more severe past symptoms of depression (Butler et al, 1994;Roberts & Kassel, 1997), we examined the association between past symptom severity and self-esteem variability in this sample. Past symptom severity (IDD-L continuous scores) was associated with more SE variability over the 2-week monitoring period and also with more defectiveness, negative generalization, and relationship events (see Table I).…”

“…We hypothesized that having fewer important sources of self-esteem, stronger endorsement of the defectiveness schema, greater tendency towards negative generalization, and a greater number of adverse events would predict greater variability in self-esteem over a 2-week period. Because SE variability has been demonstrated to be associated with a history of depressive symptoms (Butler et al, 1994;Roberts & Kassel, 1997), we also examined the relations between past symptoms and the hypothesized areas of vulnerability to SE variability.…”

“…(Karp, 1996, p. 48) A number of theorists have highlighted the central role of self-esteem in depression (e.g., Beck, 1967depression (e.g., Beck, , 1976Brown & Harris, 1989;Gotlib & Hammen, 1992;Solomon, Greenberg, & Pyszczynski, 1991). There is growing consensus, however, that it is the variability of self-esteem, rather than whether it is high or low at a given point in time, that can render an individual vulnerable to depression (Butler, Hokanson, & Flynn, 1994;Kernis et al, 1998;Kernis, Paradise, Whitaker, Wheatman, & Goldman, 2000;Roberts & Monroe, 1994).The temporal stability of self-esteem is typically indexed by computing the standard deviation of participants' scores across multiple assessments; the larger the standard deviation, the more unstable (variable) one's global self esteem. 3 Self-esteem 1 Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida.…”