Paper Example on The Impact of Low Self-Esteem: Developmental Issues and Sociocultural Consequences

Developmental Issues

Developmental issues refer to abnormal development patterns or delays in motor skills, problem-solving, language/communication, or adaptive and social behavior (Brown et al., 2020). The issues are considered so when compared to other children in the same age bracket. Some developmental problems are cognitive development from childhood to adulthood, self-awareness and self-concept, moral reasoning, personality development, language acquisition, and emotional development (Brown et al., 2020). This research paper will discuss self-esteem as one of the developmental issues prevalent in society today

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Self-Esteem

Self-esteem, as a vital component of human health, includes both self-acceptance and self-confidence. It is basically how a person perceives themselves and their self-value. (Magnusson & Nermo, 2018). High self-esteem is felt when people see themselves as approximating the person they would like to be in life. Such people find it easier to handle conflicts, make friends, contain negative pressures, and view life more positively (Magnusson & Nermo, 2018).

Individuals suffering from low self-esteem find it difficult to handle difficult situations, are overly critical of themselves, and easily become withdrawn, passive, and depressed. They are less adventurous, speak negatively about themselves, view temporary problems as permanent situations, and are easily frustrated. (Magnusson & Nermo, 2018).

Diagnostic Criteria for Self-Esteem

Low self-esteem and mental health issues have close links. A person whose self-esteem is perennially affected may develop mental health problems, among them, anxiety and depression (Rizwan & Ahmad, 2015). Some low self-esteem signs are social withdrawal, physical symptoms like fatigue, headaches, insomnia, sensitivity to criticism, excessive preoccupation with personal problems, and hostility. Parents criticizing their children can affect their self-esteem with existing low self-esteem may feel even worse (Rizwan & Ahmad, 2015).

The condition may also occur when a child suffers undue pressure from parents, acquaintances, and peers, even teachers to attain unrealistic goals. Some of the standard signs among children are the feeling of always to please people, self-hatred, a feeling of sadness most of the time, and a feeling that their problems are abnormal and that they are the cause. They have no friends or face difficulty in making friends, continually looking for approval or validation, and always need to prove themselves better than others (Rizwan & Ahmad, (2015).

Demographic Information for the Impacted Population

In children, self-esteem is averagely high, but some individual differences exist. Low self-esteem among this population is typically due to the withdrawal of love and affection by guardians and parents, and physical punishment. According to Enejoh et al. (2016), seven out of 10 girls between 15-17 years believe they are inadequate in some way, be it by looks, relationships, or class performance.

The percentage of girls suffering from this problem is more than twice that of teenage boys. 80% of female adults indicated that the images of other women appearing in movies and on television made them feel insecure about their own, that has been the trend since adolescence. Males tend to have higher self-esteem than females, and the ones with families and jobs are more likely to possess higher self-esteem than their peers without (Enejoh et al., 2016).

Sociocultural Impact of Low Self-Esteem

Chronic diseases alter the individual’s schema of themselves and even those in their surroundings. Psychosocial resources are known to stabilize social interactions and relationships (Juth et al., 2008). Such resources include self-esteem, hence if they lack, stability may not be achieved, disrupting social relationships. Self-esteem is seen as a vital link between disruptions in social relationships and chronic illness (Juth et al., 2008).

The attitude of imperfect self, linked to low self-esteem among patients suffering from chronic illness, may hinder them from focusing on their disease, hence complicating their social interactions and keeping relationships. Low self-esteem may lead to fewer social interactions as the person may not physically spend the effort needed to engage in interpersonal contact. The low expectations such people have of pleasantness derived from social interactions may also curtail their motivation to interact with others (Juth et al., 2008).

Impacts of Low Self-Esteem

Low self-esteem is linked to various problems like criminal and violent behavior, low academic achievement, bullying, drug, and alcohol abuse, teenage pregnancy, dropping out of school, depression, suicidal ideation, and in extreme cases, suicide attempts and actual suicide (Wood et al., 2017). There is also a general poor physical health among such a population. Social acceptance becomes vital as one gets older. The desire to look and feel good, even have friends becomes paramount in life. Self-esteem yields acceptance of peer pressure, pushing individuals to make poor choices, hence easy to bully and manipulate (Wood et al., 2017).

Societal pressure has a significant effect on the self-esteem of adults by dictating what is right and wrong. It should, therefore, not be allowed to control one’s self-worth, self-esteem, and self-confidence. Low self-esteem often leads to the fear of trying something new, even in the workplace. It can make one defensive, rebellious, or overly compliant. Such negative behaviors reduce productivity in employees (Enejoh et al., 2016). High self-esteem among employees leads them to thrust their judgments and thoughts. Such people are most likely to make better decisions, and create more useful work and interpersonal relationships. Hence they can effectively contribute to a conducive work environment that is good for increased productivity (Enejoh et al., 2016).

Conclusion

Developmental issues are abnormal development patterns or delays in human growth areas, including motor skills, problem-solving, communication, or adaptive and social behavior. Self-esteem is an essential constituent of health that involves both self-acceptance and self-confidence. Those with high self-esteem find it easier to handle conflicts, make friends, and contain negative pressures. People with low self-esteem find it challenging to handle difficult situations, are overly critical of themselves, and quickly become withdrawn, passive, and depressed.

Low self-esteem and mental health issues have close links. A person whose self-esteem is perennially affected may develop mental health problems, among them, anxiety and depression. 70% of girls between15-17 years believe they are inadequate somehow, be it by looks, relationships, or class performance. The percentage of girls suffering from this problem is more than twice that of teenage boys. Eight out of 10 female adults suffer low self-esteem problems, while males tend to have higher self-esteem than females. The attitude of inadequacy in an individual associated with low self-esteem among patients suffering from chronic illness may hinder their focus on the disease, hence complicating their social interactions.

Low self-esteem may lead to fewer social interactions as the person may not physically spend the effort needed to engage in interpersonal contact. It is linked to problems like criminal and violent behavior, low academic achievement, bullying, drug abuse, teenage pregnancy, depression, suicidal ideation, and in extreme cases, suicide.

References

Brown, K. A., Parikh, S., & Patel, D. R. (2020). Understanding basic concepts of developmental diagnosis in children. Translational Pediatrics, 9 (Suppl 1), S9. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7082247/

Enejoh, V., Pharr, J., Mavegam, B. O., Olutola, A., Karick, H., & Ezeanolue, E. E. (2016). Impact of self-esteem on risky sexual behaviors among Nigerian adolescents. AIDS care, 28(5), 672-676. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4972583/

Juth, V., Smyth, J. M., & Santuzzi, A. M. (2008). How do you feel? Self-esteem predicts effect, stress, social interaction, and symptom severity during daily life in patients with chronic illness. Journal of Health Psychology, 13(7), 884-894. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1359105308095062

Magnusson, C., & Nermo, M. (2018). From childhood to young adulthood: the importance of self-esteem during childhood for occupational achievements among young men and women. Journal of Youth Studies, 21(10), 1392-1410. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/13676261.2018.1468876

Rizwan, M., & Ahmad, R. (2015). Self-esteem deficits among psychiatric patients. Sage Open, 5(2), 2158244015581649. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/2158244015581649

Wood, L., Byrne, R., Burke, E., Enache, G., & Morrison, A. P. (2017). The impact of stigma on emotional distress and recovery from psychosis: The mediatory role of internalized shame and self-esteem. Psychiatry Research, 255, 94-100. http://repository.essex.ac.uk/21927/1/woodpr2017.pdf