The Effects of Self-esteem, Stress, and Social Support on Depression among Middle-aged Women

Abstract

Purpose: This study was conducted to determine if women’s depression is influenced by their self esteem, stress, and social support. Methods: This study was a descriptive survey, and data were collected from the November 1 to December 20, 2015 using a self-reported questionnaire. The measurements were SES for self esteem, and CES-D for depression. A total of 165 middle-aged women participated through convenient sampling. Results: There were significant difference in self-esteem according to education level and monthly income. Additionally, there was an inverse correlation between stress and self esteem, as well as a significant strong correlation between self esteem, stress, social support and depression. Finally, multiple regression showed that self-esteem and stress had significant effects on depression, and their explanatory power was △R2(%)= 47.9 (△F= 66.526, p