Does self-esteem instability explain the link between academic contingent self-worth and mental health threats? Dimensionality matters

Abstract

Objectives: Theory suggests that students who base their self-worth on academic successes and setbacks risk poor mental health because their self-esteem is unstable. This hypothesis should be revisited given recent evidence that academic contingent self-worth (ACSW) is multidimensional, with some dimensions related to threats to mental health and other dimensions unrelated or inversely related to said threats. Participants and methods: Therefore, the present research examined, in an undergraduate sample (N = 273), whether self-esteem instability mediated the link between different ACSW dimensions and stress and three types of well-being (psychological, emotional, and social). Results: Supporting predictions, at two time points, self-esteem instability mediated the link between the general-contingency dimension and heightened stress and diminishment of the three types of well-being; conversely, the positive-contingency dimension related to lower stress and higher psychological and emotional well-being. Conclusions: We discuss possible reasons different ACSW dimensions differentially relate to mental health threats and suggest ways to reduce the vulnerability of students high in general ACSW.

Keywords: Academic contingent self-worth; self-esteem instability; stress; well-being.