UBC News

Coopersmith & Rosenberg Self-Esteem Tests Can Help You Screen For Depression

Episode Summary

Your self-esteem levels can help you and your therapist determine the state of your mental health and track your personal growth. Here are some of the best self-esteem screening tools for the job, including those used by professionals. Learn more at https://missionconnectionhealthcare.com/blog/self-esteem-scale-tests-coopersmith-rosenberg-others/

Episode Notes

You probably already have some idea of how you perceive yourself, but what if you had a clinically validated test to really put your sense of self-worth into perspective? Mental health experts say that evaluating your self-esteem with screening tools is actually a good way to track your personal growth; therapists can even use your results to diagnose you with issues like depression or anxiety and guide your treatments. There are many other benefits to these screening tools too, but first, let’s look at what the mental health professionals at Mission Connection are saying about self-esteem and which tests are the best for certain circumstances.

Self-esteem, a person’s sense of self-worth, is one of the most influential factors in how individuals perceive themselves and interact with the world. Because low self-esteem levels are often a precursor to or a symptom of a number of mental health issues, many psychologists use clinically validated assessment tools as starting points for therapy and a measurement of personal growth and psychological well-being throughout treatment.

The most widely employed self-esteem tests are the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory. The former was developed by Morris Rosenberg in 1965, and it consists of 10 statements designed to reflect an individual’s overall feelings of self-worth.

The final score is determined by how strongly participants agree or disagree with these statements - lower scores tend to reflect lower self-esteem levels, allowing the individual to use their results to guide their lifestyle choices or treatment options.

On the other hand, the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory screening tool is more complex, featuring 58 questions that measure self-esteem in four different subscales: general self-esteem, social self-esteem, academic self-esteem, and family self-esteem. Mission Connection’s guide notes that because of its relative complexity, this tool is more suited for educational settings, particularly for young children and adolescents. If you’re an adult and you’re not in school, you’re probably better off going for the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale.

Other notable self-esteem metrics include the Hare Self-Esteem Scale, which focuses on personal identity, and the Lawrence Self-Esteem Questionnaire, which, like the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory, focuses on self-worth in academic, social, and family contexts.

Regardless, experts say that all tests are beneficial for tracking personal growth, identifying areas for improvement, and building confidence over time. It makes sense, right? If you’re aware of your progress, you’ll experience a sense of accomplishment that will motivate further growth. Having tangible results will ultimately empower you to become more resilient in life, which also happens to be the end goal of therapy.

Speaking of therapy, if you’ve taken a self-esteem test and realized that maybe mental health services are something you could benefit from, Mission Connection has plenty of resources for you. Check their website out if you need an idea of where to get started.

Mission Connection
City: San Juan Capistrano
Address: 30310 Rancho Viejo Rd.
Website: https://missionconnectionhealthcare.com/