Introduction & Theoretical Background
Low self-esteem is characterized as a negative sense of the self and co-occurs with many other mental health problems. Although not formally represented in the diagnostic manuals it is nevertheless a distinct and treatable psychological difficulty.
People are not born with low self-esteem. Instead, we develop ideas about ourselves and our place in the world as a result of our life experiences. People who experience enough positive reinforcement, praise, love, and acceptance are more likely to develop positive self-beliefs. Those who suffer experiences of adversity, trauma, criticism, bullying, and neglect are more likely to experience low self-esteem. Known predictors of low self-esteem include peer victimization (van Geel et al, 2018), childhood trauma (Weindl et al, 2018), maltreatment (Bolger, 1998), and chronic illness (Pinquart, 2013).
The cognitive behavioral theory of low self-esteem proposes that negative self-beliefs are self-reinforcing: once activated, they can bias the way that an individual perceives, remembers, thinks, and feels