Abstract:
The study investigated the role of self-esteem and gender in self-report of depressive symptoms among adolescents in a sample of two hundred and sixty one (261) Secondary School Students in Enugu State Capital of Enugu State of Nigeria comprising adolescents from various socio-economic backgrounds. It hypothesized that self-esteem and gender would not play any significant role in the participant's self- report of depressive symptoms. ANOVA statistics was used to analyze the data. The result showed that self-esteem played a significant role in self-report of depressive symptoms (F = 384.88, df = 1, p <. 05), with participants who have high self-esteem reporting low depression than those with low self-esteem. On the other hand, male and female students did not differ in their report on depression.
Discussion highlighted the importance of intervention in limiting or eliminating depression thereby leading to enhanced mental health.
