The Correlation of Self-Esteem and Suicide free essay sample

The text book debates the merits of high self-esteem, noting that high self-esteem is not always good. Carry out research on one potential correlate with self-esteem. Answer the following questions : Why might the 2 factors be connected? What does research on this connection show? Propose how the relationahip could be further studied. Suicide, the act deliberate taking of ones life, disturbs and threatens human society. At least a million people are estimated to die annually from suicide worldwide (Wasserman, Qi amp; Jiang, 2005) and what is of greater concern is that suicide rates among the young have increased dramatically in the past three decades (Wasserman, 2001). The beginning of the 20th century marked a very important time for suicide research and suicide prevention (Pompili, 2010). One of the outcomes of the extensive research is the finding that self-esteem correlates with suicidal behaviour, which includes suicidal ideation, suicidal threats, self-injuring actions and suicidal attempts (Bagley amp; Ramsey, 1997). Many studies have demonstrated strong connections between the two concepts (Marciano amp; Kazdin, 1994). This paper seeks to explain the relationship between self-esteem and suicidal behaviour, citing current research on this correlation, as well as propose how this relationship could be further studied. This paper will first explore how might self-esteem and suicidal behaviour be connected. Self-esteem refers to how favourably someone evaluates himself and it is a very important aspect of personal well-being and adjustment (Passer et al. 2009, p. 678). According to the theory of personal constructs (Kelly, 1950), people construct reality in according to their own cognitive schemas. Applying this theory, people with low self-esteem would construe a more pessimistic view of themselves. When faced with the same life stresses, which can be external, such as problems with relationships or work; physical, such as a chronic physical illness; or psychological, such as a reactivated memory of an earlier traumatic event (Bagley amp; Ramsey, 1997, p. 51), they are more likely to be harbour self-defeating thoughts and deem their predicament to be more dire than people with higher self-esteem. As a result, they are more vulnerable to emotional distresses when faced with life stressors. People with low self-esteem are also less likely to take the initiative to make themselves feel better (Baumeister amp; Bushman, 2008, p. 81). In addition, if attempts made to lift their spirits fail, they are more likely to develop learnt helplessness and give up trying to make themselves feel better (Baumeister amp; Bushman, 2008, p. 05). Furthermore, people have a need for self-consistency (Passer et al. , 2009, p. 677), people with low self esteem would perceive negative events such as social rejection or physical illness as a self-verification of their unworthiness. These maladjusted cognitive patterns are self-fulfilling prophecies that lead to further despair and feelings of hopelessness. Without the ego buffers to help them moderate self-defeating thoughts (Bagley amp; Ramsay, 1997, p. 51), the emotional distress due to unpleasant life circumstances might be too overwhelming for these individuals, leading them to conceive suicidal thoughts and carry out suicide attempts more often than those with higher self-esteem, who still cling on to the hope that there is inherent worth in their life amidst the most trying circumstances. Research has supported this connection of self-esteem and suicidal behaviour. One of the pioneering research of this correlation was carried out by Kaplan (Kaplan amp; Porkorny,1976). Kaplan followed samples of both adolescents and adults, and has found that low self-esteem is an important predictor of suicidal behaviour. (Kaplan 1980). A more recent study conducted by Angus H. Thompson tested the association between responses to a self-esteem inventory and levels of suicidal behavior as conceptualized in the notion of the suicide process: death wish, suicide ideation followed by suicidal plans and suicidal attempts (Thompson 2010). A negative relationship was found between the level of suicide behaviour and self-esteem. Also, the vulnerability stress model which links self-esteem to suicide was put to test in a longitudinal study of 63 women who were having chronically poor self-esteem and experienced prolonged sexual and emotional or physical abuse as a child in Southern Alberta in 1987 (Bagley amp; Ramsay, 1997, p. 149). Forty of the 63 participated in the therapy group designed to increase self-esteem, coping skills and social support. A follow-up study found that the women who joined these groups had maintained most of the gains they made in self-esteem, had a reduction of depression and an absence of suicidal ideas and behaviour. In contrast, the 23 women who did not receive therapy remained depressed and suicidal, and one woman in this category had actually committed suicide. Through this study, the correlation between low self-esteem and suicidal behaviour were confirmed. The ultimate aim of research in correlational studies of self-esteem and suicidal behaviour is to understand, predict and prevent suicidal behaviour. The relationship between self-esteem and suicidal behaviour could be further studied to allow more effective preventive interventions to be put in place. At present, effective psychotherapy treatments for suicidal cases not provide self-esteem enhancement sessions, but they also provide coping skills as well as a social support system (Bagley amp; Ramsay, 1997, p. 156). This resulted in difficulty concluding if it was the enhancement of self-esteem or the other measures that have most effectively curb suicidal behaviour. By conducting a research to find out to what extent is enhancing self-esteem crucial in preventing suicide behaviour in people with low self-esteem, we can further strengthen of the correlation between self-esteem and suicidal behaviour. One way of carrying out this research would be to replicate the aforementioned Alberta longitudinal study on the 63 sexually and emotionally or physically abused women with chronically low self-esteem (Bagley,1879). However for this study, patients would be randomly assigned to two different treatment groups, one group would undergo therapy similar to the Alberta therapy group, with measures to enhance self-esteem, coping skills workshops and social support; the other group would undergo therapy with measures to enhance coping skills and social support without the self-esteem enhancement sessions. Self-esteem enhancement sessions is the independent variable and potential confounding variables such as gender, type of stressors and current self-esteem levels are held constant. If follow-up study shows that suicidal behaviour is significantly reduced in the group that underwent self-esteem enhancing sessions, the correlation between self-esteem and suicidal behaviour would be strengthened. Suicide can be seen to be the extreme act of irrationality as it brings a permanent end to the persons chances for happiness or success (Baumeister amp; Bushman, 2008, p. 19). It is worthy to note that not all chronically depressed people with low self-esteem commit suicide while some people with normal esteem level do commit suicide out of impulse. Although the correlation bewteen self-esteem and suicidal behaviour cannot account for all suicide cases, self-esteem is still an important intrinsic tool that can be used to defend one against self-defeating thoughts and the vulnerability of situational stressors. Enhancing the self-esteem of people with negative self-concept could be a timely preventive intervention of suicidal behaviour.