Self-esteem as a mediator of the relationship between social isolation and depression and anxiety symptoms of emerging adults in the COVID-19 pandemic

• Main Author: Asistio, Frednick Luis O.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2022
• Subjects: Social isolation; COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020-; Self-esteem; Depressions; Anxiety; Clinical Psychology
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etdm_psych/31; https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/context/etdm_psych/article/1030/viewcontent/2022_Asistio_Self_Esteem_as_a_Mediator_of_the_Relationship_Full_text.pdf
• Institution: De La Salle University

The forced lockdown and uncertainty during the recent COVID-19 pandemic have made Filipino people perceive themselves as being socially isolated. Based on the second account of the stress mechanism of the perceived social isolation model, perceived social isolation may be a stressor that leads to negative mental health outcomes, through its potential associations with diminished self-esteem (personal self-esteem) and weakening of dependable social ties (relational self-esteem). Perceived social isolation and diminished aspects of self-esteem may lead to negative mental health outcomes such as symptoms of depression and anxiety. Filipino emerging adults are especially affected due to their transition especially in balancing social ties and in exploring their own identity, which is reflected by one’s relational and personal self-esteem, respectively. This research tested whether these two aspects of self-esteem mediate the relationship between perceived social isolation and symptoms of depression and anxiety among Filipino emerging adults based on the perceived social isolation model. The participants were 227 Filipino emerging adults who have not been clinically diagnosed with depression and anxiety. Findings revealed that perceived social isolation had both a direct and indirect relationship with depression, but only an indirect relationship with anxiety symptoms, with personal self-esteem mediating the relationship. Relational self-esteem did not mediate the relationship between perceived social isolation and depression and anxiety symptoms. The research suggests that personal self-esteem had a stronger mediating effect towards symptoms of depression and anxiety compared to relational self-esteem. The results provide support for the second account of the stress mechanism in the perceived social isolation model. Interventions on personal self-esteem may be important in helping Filipino emerging adults cope with perceived social isolation and alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety especially in the pandemic.