Influence of self-esteem and emotion regulation in subjective and psychological well-being of adolescents: contributions to clinical psychology

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Scientific literature has shown that self-esteem and emotion regulation are related to various psychopatological disorders, although, few studies have investigated the influence of these variables in well-being. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to analyze the relations of these variables with subjective well-being (life satisfaction) and psychological well-being (happiness and meaning). It also wants to investigate the predictive value of gender, self-esteem and emotion regulation strategies (suppression and cognitive reavaluation) on the different components of well-being. METHODS: A normative sample of 216 adolescents, from both sexes, has answered four instruments that evaluated self-esteem, the emotion regulation capacity, subjective and psychological well-being. RESULTS: Suppression has correlated negatively with all the measures of well-being meanwhile cognitive reavaluation has correlated positively and more strongly with levels of happiness. Self-esteem had showed a strong and positive relation with life satisfaction and a higher predictive value of well-being than emotion regulation strategies. DISCUSSION: Self-esteem has revealed being an important variable in the promotion of adolescent well-being, assuming a primary role in the field of a more positive and preventive clinical practice.