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Sex as a Moderator Between Self-Esteem and Depression Among Secondary Schools Adolescents in Delta State
Author(s): AWALA, Eyimofe Tina
Authors Affiliations:
Department of Guidance and Counselling, Faculty of Education, Delta State University, Abraka, Nigeria
DOIs:10.2018/SS/202508006 | Paper ID: SS202508006This study investigated sex as a moderator between self-esteem and depression among adolescents in secondary schools in Delta State. A correlational research project was adopted. The population consisted of 128,026 high school students at the 2021/2022 academic session, from which a sample of 1,056 students was selected using a sampling procedure at various stages. The data were collected using a structured questionnaire comprising the Adolescent's Self-Esteem Rating Scale (ASERS) and the Adolescent Depression Rating Scale (ADRS), adapted and validated for the present study. The instrument demonstrated strong psychometric properties, with content validity rates above 64% explained the variation and Cronbach's alpha coefficients of 0.71 for self-esteem and 0.81 for depression. Data were collected over a six -week period with a 96%response rate. Pearson's determination coefficient was used to answer research questions, while the hypotheses were tested using Fisher's linear regression and statistics at a significance level of 0.05. The findings revealed a significant negative relationship between self-esteem and depression among adolescents, but sex did not significantly moderate this relationship. The study recommends the integration of mental health programs and the promotion of self-esteem improvement strategies in schools.
AWALA, Eyimofe Tina (2025); Sex as a Moderator Between Self-Esteem and Depression Among Secondary Schools Adolescents in Delta State, Shikshan Sanshodhan : Journal of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, ISSN(o): 2581-6241, Volume – 8, Issue – 8., Pp.30-36. Available on – https://shikshansanshodhan.researchculturesociety.org/
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