Change in Self-Esteem Trajectories Among Adolescents and Adults with Intellectual Disabilities

Self-esteem significantly influences and shapes an individual's social behavior and indicates his or her psychological and mental health. In this study, the following two premises are examined: (1) whether the self-esteem of adolescents and adults with intellectual disabilities undergoes changes over time and (2) the demographic variables that influence this change. For this study, a longitudinal analysis spanning 2 years was conducted using response data from 398 participants-as sourced from the Korea Employment Agency for the Disabled-which comprised gender, age, education, and severity of disability as input variables. A potential growth model analysis confirmed the appropriateness of the second measurement change model (significant increase in self-esteem between the first and second measurements, no changes between second and third measurements) that presented the main premises of his study. The findings indicated that the level of self-esteem and its rate of change varied significantly among adolescents and adults with intellectual disabilities, and the variations were primarily associated with gender and severity of disabilities.