Models of depression and self-esteem

Abstract

According to the World Health Organisation, depression is one of the leading contributors to the global burden of disease. Depressed individuals face clinically significant impairment across various domains of life, such as mental and physical health, and interpersonal relationships. Furthermore, depression sustains $30 to $50 billion in lost work performance annually. With its extensive individual and societal impact, there is considerable urgency in understanding the etiology of depression with the aim of diagnosis and treatment. Research has concluded that self-esteem is often compromised among individuals with depression as it buffers individuals against emotional distress while promoting psychological adaptation in times of stress. This review begins by evaluating three models that examine the causal nature of the relationship between depression and low self-esteem. The vulnerability model received the most empirical attention and boasts robust findings replicated across age, ethnicity, and gender. We also addressed inconsistent findings for the scar model and highlighted reciprocal relations model as a theoretical model that explains depression relapse. This is followed by the distinguishing of explicit self-esteem (ESE) and implicit self-esteem (ISE) before investigating the relationship between depression and low ESE and depression and low ISE. Additionally, we examined discrepant ESE and ISE levels. The extent to which discrepant-low self-esteem is associated with depression is contingent on individuals’ performance outcomes in self-relevant domains. Last, we concluded with limitations of the current research and suggested potential avenues for future research.