Adolescent stress and self-esteem

The purpose of this study was to examine adolescent stress and its effects on self-esteem. A total of 2,154 North Dakota high school students between the ages of 14 and 19 participated by completing the Life Experiences Survey and the Self-Esteem Inventory. The findings indicated that as the number of life events increased, the level of self-esteem decreased. This relationship was especially true for negative events. Positive events had no impact on self-esteem. In addition, adolescent ratings of intensity of the events were not related to self-esteem. Implications of these findings for research and professional applications are discussed.