| dc.description.abstract | This prospective study examined whether self-esteem acts as a protective factor against anxiety/depressive symptoms and attention problems in adolescence. A clinical sample of 201 Norwegian adolescents, aged 13-18, referred to the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (CAP) was assessed. In the baseline study self-esteem and symptoms of anxiety/depression and attention problems were measured by self-report. A follow-up study was conducted three years later, measuring self-reported symptoms of anxiety/depression and attention problems. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Findings showed that high self-esteem at baseline predicted a reduction in symptoms of both anxiety/depression and attention problems at follow-up. Results indicate that appraising self-esteem in the clinical practice may reduce the presence of anxiety/depression symptoms and attention problems among adolescents with mental health problems. | nb_NO |
