Summary
Research on the efficacy of measures of self-esteem to predict onset of depression has produced highly variable results. Longitudinal population studies in London and Edinburgh have produced positive findings, but there are a number of studies with negative results. This paper examines in more detail than hitherto the results of the London, Islington, longitudinal study and discusses issues of measurement which might explain the variable success of such predictions.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alsaker FD (1989) School Achievement, perceived academic competence and global self-esteem. School Psychol Int 10: 147–158
Bradburn NM (1969) The structure of psychological well-being. National Opinion Research Center Monographis in Social Research. Aldine, Chicago
Brewin CR (1985) Depression and causal attributes: what is their relation? Psychol Bull 98: 297–309
Bibring E (1953) The Mechanisms of depression. In: Greenacre P (ed) Affective disorders: psychoanalytic contributions to their study. New York: International Universities Press, New York, pp 14–47
Brown GW, Harris TO (1978) Social origins of depression. Tavistock Press, London
Brown GW, Harris TO (1986) Establishing causal links: the Bedford College studies of depression. In: Katschnig H (ed) Life events and psychiatric disorders: controversial issues, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp 107–187
Brown GW, Rutter M (1966) The measurement of family activities and relationships: a methodological study. Hum Relat 19: 241–263
Brown GW, Craig TKJ, Harris TO (1985) Depression: disease or distress? Some epidemiological considerations. Br J Psychiatry 147: 612–622
Brown GW, Andrews B, Harris TO, Adler Z, Bridge L (1986) Social support, self-esteem and depression. Psychol Med 16: 813–831
Brown GW, Adler Z, Bifulco A (1988) Life events, difficulties and recovery from chronic depression. Br J Psychiatry 152: 115–128
Brown GW, Harris T, et al. (1989) Life events and illness. Guilford Press, New York: Unwin & Hyman, London
Brown GW, Bifulco A, Veiel H, Andrews B (in press a) Self-esteem and depression. 2. Social correlates of self-esteem. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol
Brown GW, Bifulco A, Andrews B (in press b) Self-esteem and depression. 3. Aetiological issues. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol
Brown GW, Bifulco A, Andrews B (in press c) Self-esteem and depression. 4. Effect of course and recovery. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol
Campbell EA (1983) Depression in women: the role of life event social factors and psychological vulnerability. D Phil Green College, Oxford
Cooper JE, Copeland JRM, Brown GW, Harris T, Gourley AJ (1977) Further studies on interviewer training and inter-rater reliability of the Present State Examination (PSE). Psychol Med 7: 517–523
Dean C, Surtees PG, Sashidharan SP (1983) Comparison of research diagnostic systems in an Edinburgh community sample. Br J Psychiatry 142: 247–256
Finlay-Jones R, Brown GW, Duncan-Jones P, Harris T, Murphy E, Prudo R (1980) Depression and anxiety in the community. Psychol Med 10: 445–454
Hammen C, Adrian C, Hiroto D (1988) A longitudinal test of the attributional vulnerability model in children at risk for depression. Br J Clin Psychol 27: 37–46
Headey B, Holstrom E, Wearing A (1984) Well-being and ill-being: different dimensions. Soc Indicators Res 14: 115–139
Ingham JG, Kreitman NB, Miller PMcC, Sashidharan SP, Surtees PG, (1987) Self-appraisal, anxiety and depression in women: a prospective enquiry. Br J Psychiatry 150: 643–651
Leventhal H, Tomarken AJ (1986) Emotions: today's problems. Ann Rev Psychol 37: 565–610
Lewinsohn PM, Steinmetz JL, Larson DW, Franklin J (1981) Depression-related cognitions: antecedent or consequence? J Abnorm Psychol 90: 213–219
Miller PMcC, Kreitman NB, Ingham JG, Sashidharan SP (1989) Self-esteem, life stress and psychiatric disorder. J Affective Disord 17: 65–75
Moss P, Plewis I (1977) Mental distress in mother of pre-school children in inner London. Psychol Med 7: 641–652
O'Connor P, Brown GW (1984) Supportive relationships: fact or fancy? J Soc Pers Relationships 1: 159–175
Parry G, Shapiro D, Davies L (1981) Reliability of life-event ratings: an independent replication. Br J Clin Psychol 20: 133–134
Rosenberg M, (1965) Society and the adolescent self-image. New Jersey: Princeton University Press, New Jersey
Rutter M, Brown GW (1966) The reliability of family life and relationships in families containing a psychiatric patient. Soc Psychiatry 1: 38–53
Sashidharan SP (1985) Definitions of psychiatric syndromes-comparison in hospital patients and general. Br J Psychiatry 147: 547–551
Schwartz RM, Garamoni GL (1986) A structural model of positive and negative state of mind: asymmetry in the internal dialogue. Adv Cogn Behav Res Theory 5: 1–62
Spitzer RL, Endicott J, Robins E (1978) Research diagnostic criteria: rationale and reliability. Arch Gen Psychiatry 35: 773–782
Surtees PG, Dean C, Ingham JG, Kreitman NB, Miller PMcC, Sashidharan SP (1983) Psychiatric disorder in women in an Edinburgh community: associations with demographic factors. Br J Psychiatry 142: 238–246
Tennant C, Smith A, Bebbington P, Hurry J (1979) The contextual threat of life events: the concept and its reliability. Psychol Med 9: 525–528
Warr P, Jackson P (1982) Self-esteem and unemployment among young workers. Le Travail Humain 46: 355–366
Warr P, Barker J, Brownbridge G (1983) On the independence of positive and negative effect. J Pers Soc Psychol 44: 644–651
Wing JK, Sturt E (1978) The PSE-ID-CATEGO system — a supplementary manual. Institute of Psychiatry (mimeo), London
Wing JK, Cooper JE, Satorius N (1974) The measurement and Classification of psychiatric symptoms: an instruction manual for the Present State Examination and CATEGO programme. Cambridge University Press, London
Wing JK, Nixon JM, Mann SA, Leff JP (1977) Reliability of the PSE (ninth edition) Used in a population study. Psychol Med 7: 505–516
Westen D (1985) Self and society: Narcissism, collectivism and the development of morals. Cambridge University Press, London
Zautra AJ, Reich JW (1983) Life events and perceptions of life quality: developments in a two-factor approach. J Community Psychol 11: 121–132
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Brown, G.W., Andrews, B., Bifulco, A. et al. Self-esteem and depression. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 25, 200–209 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00782962
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00782962