The Relationship between Self-esteem, Anxiety and Depression among University Students in Lagos, Nigeria

Abstract

Previous studies showed negative significant correlations between self-esteem, and emotional states such as anxiety and depression among adolescents especially when studying in a higher institution. This study was, therefore, designed to investigate the prevalence of self-esteem, anxiety and depression, their sociodemographic correlates and the relationships between self-esteem, anxiety, and depression. Methods A cross-sectional design was employed for this study with the participation of 236 students at a university in Lagos, Nigeria. A structured questionnaire was applied to ask about the sociodemographic characteristics of the participants. They were also asked to complete the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) to determine their levels of self-esteem and probable anxiety and depression and their statistical relationships. Results The findings on the reported levels of self-esteem showed that 22 (9.3%) had low self-esteem and only 12 (5.1%) experienced higher self-esteem. The males had lower self-esteem compared to the female participants. The majority of the participants 154 (65.2%) experienced probable anxiety while about one-third of them 101 (32.8%) manifested with probable depression. There were negative correlations between self-esteem, anxiety and depression -.403 and -.438. Conclusions This study showed that self-esteem negatively correlated with anxiety and depression. This negative association could significantly affect students’ educational achievements and quality of life. There is a need for tertiary institutions to routinely determine the self-esteem of students and also provide psychological interventions aimed at proactively increasing students’ self-esteem to prevent the existence of comorbid psychological and academic distress.