Trajectories of global self‐esteem development during adolescence

ABSTRACT Based on data from a 17‐year longitudinal study of 1083 adolescents, from the ages of 13 to 30 years, the average development of self‐reported global self‐esteem was found to be high and stable during adolescence. However, there is considerable inter‐individual variance in baseline and development of global self‐esteem. This study used latent growth mixture modelling to characterize three trajectory classes of global self esteem between ages 14 and 23 years: consistently high, chronically low, and U‐shaped. The respondents in three classes showed statistically significant different levels of life satisfaction, depressive mood, somatic complaints and insomnia at age 30. Attempts to predict trajectories from age 13 were only partially successful, with body image, relations with parents and frequency of physical activity as the significant predictors.