Low self esteem and its relation with psychological distress among dental students

• Main Authors: Al-Ani, Ali Sabri Radeef, Faisal, Ghasak Ghazi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: European Journal of Medical and Health Sciences (EJERS) 2019
• Subjects: RC0321 Neuroscience. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry; RK Dentistry
• Online Access: http://irep.iium.edu.my/72371/1/72371_Low%20Self%20esteem%20and%20its%20Relation.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/72371/; https://www.ejmed.org/index.php/ejmed/article/view/21; https://doi.org/10.24018/ejmed.2019.1.1.21
• Institution: Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia

Since self-esteem has been recognized to predict health and psychological well-being, it is crucial to assess the self-esteem and its relation with psychological distress. Methodology: This study was conducted among 257 dental students. The psychological distress was assessed using the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) while self-esteem was assessed using the adult form of the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory. Results: Female students had significantly lower self-esteem compared to male students (51.4 and 59.1 respectively). There is a strong negative correlation between psychological distress and self-esteem (r= -0.5, p<0.00). Students with psychological distress had significantly lower mean self-esteem score compared to those who are not distressed (43.07 and 60.03 respectively). Conclusion: Low self-esteem is higher among female students and self-esteem is negatively correlated to psychological distress among undergraduate students.