Abstract
This study investigated mean-level changes and intraindividual variability of self-esteem among maltreated (N = 142) and nonmaltreated (N = 109) school-aged children from low-income families. Longitudinal factor analysis revealed higher temporal stability of self-esteem among maltreated children compared to nonmaltreated children. Cross-domain latent growth curve models indicated that nonmaltreated children showed higher initial levels and greater increases in self-esteem than maltreated children, and that the initial levels of self-esteem were significantly associated with depressive symptoms among maltreated and nonmaltreated children. The average level (mean of repeated measurements) of self-esteem was predictive of depression at the final occasion for both maltreated and nonmaltreated children. For nonmaltreated children intraindividual variability of self-esteem had a direct contribution to prediction of depression. The findings enhance our understanding of developmental changes in self-esteem and the role of the average level and within-person variability of self-esteem in predicting depressive symptoms among high-risk children.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 202-214 |
Number of pages | 13 |
Journal | International Journal of Behavioral Development |
Volume | 33 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2009 |
Keywords
- Depressive symptoms
- Intraindividual variability
- Mean-level change
- Self-esteem