Gender differences in the relationship between self-esteem and depression among college students: A cross-lagged study from China

This longitudinal study examined gender differences in the relationship between self-esteem and depression among Chinese college students during the four academic years. Results showed that (1) the self-esteem levels of college students on average monotonically declined over years; (2) there were significant negative correlations between self-esteem and depression for college students; (3) the vulnerability model was empirically evidenced, with heterogeneous associations by gender. The negative prospective impacts of low self-esteem on depression were similar for males across college, but developmental for females over years. The study suggests that colleges should be aware of the gender differences in the association between self-esteem and depression, and take more targeted measures to boost students’ self-esteem in order to prevent possible depressive disorders.