PATTERN OF COPING AND FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH LOW SELF-ESTEEM AND DEPRESSION AMONG ADOLESCENTS IN IBADAN, NIGERIA.

Abstract

Background: Coping patterns refer to ways in which stressful life events are manoeuvred to avoid distress resulting from such stressors. Coping patterns can be effective in relieving distress or be ineffective and maladaptive. Adolescents in school settings are faced with difficulties that may cause significant distress if not properly managed. Long-standing stressors or improperly resolved difficulties can lead to low self-esteem and depression as well as predispose to risky behaviours. Low self-esteem has been recognized to be associated with a number of mental disorders. The construct of self-esteem is however, culture-specific and individualized and thus attempts at conceptualizing should be context specific. Low self-esteem is often associated with depressive illness. Major depression has been recognized as one of the leading causes of morbidity worldwide and it impairs the well-being socially and academically of adolescents. The study therefore aims to identify the pattern of coping among secondary school students and establish its association with low self-esteem and depression. It will also explain the role of contextual factors in observed cases of low self-esteem Methodology: Three hundred and three students from two senior secondary schools selected from rural and urban areas of Ibadanwere recruited to participate in the two-phase study. In the first phase, the adolescents completed the Rosenberg self-esteem scale, the Beck’s Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Brief COPE. There was an independent assessment of academic performance by the schoolteachers. Data was analysed using mean and standard deviation for the self-esteem scores and a cut-off of 18 on the BDI was employed for clinical depression. The frequency of use of different coping methods among the students was categorized according to the 14-factor model. The association between the different coping methods and depression was tested using the chi-square test, while coping pattern association with self-esteem was evaluated using the t-tests.In the second phase, respondents with the lowest self-esteem scores were recruited for an in-depth qualitative interview exploring family, social and academic issues associated with low self-esteem and recurring themes were qualitatively coded and presented. Results:Most of the respondents were aged between 13 and 18 years with a mean age of 15.5years (S.D = 1.27). Majority were females from monogamous family settings whose parents were currently married. About a quarter of the respondents worked after-school hours, while about 20% were brought up by other than both parents. About 6% did not like their school, while one-fifth of the respondents had difficulties with schoolteachers. About 27% of the respondents had clinical depression while 1.0% had low self-esteem scores. The predominantly used method of coping was Turning to religion (72.2%) followed by Seeking instrumental support (66.7%) , while the least used was Alcohol use observed in 17.3%. Male gender, little or no affiliation with religion, working after school, and poor academic performance were significantly associated with clinical depression. Higher prevalence of depression was found among those who used evasive coping methods such as Acceptance, Behavioural disengagement, Denial and Self-distraction. Lower mean self-esteem scores were observed among those who employed alcohol use when faced with difficulties. Emergent themes identified from respondents during the in-depth interviews were poor treatment by family members, poor academic performance and dissatisfaction with personal attributes.