Association Between Resilience and Self-Esteem in Adolescents from Peruvian Schools

Background Self-esteem is a key component in adolescents' psychological development and is associated with multiple factors related to well-being and success. Resilience, defined as the ability to cope with and overcome adversity, is a potential protective factor for self-esteem. However, in Peru, evidence on this relationship is limited and has focused on specific populations, with some methodological constraints. Understanding this relationship is essential for designing strategies to promote adolescent mental health. Thus, this study aimed to examine the association between resilience and self-esteem among adolescents from five educational institutions in the Lambayeque region, Peru. Methods An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted through secondary analysis of data collected between September and December 2022. A total of 1,307 secondary school adolescents were included. Self-esteem was assessed using the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and resilience was measured with the 10-item CD-RISC. Descriptive and bivariate analyses were performed using chi-square tests. The association between resilience and self-esteem was estimated using Poisson regression models with robust variance, adjusting for confounders. Results The prevalence of low self-esteem in the studied population was 44.6% (95% CI: 42.03–47.40). Adolescents with low resilience showed a higher prevalence of low self-esteem compared to those with high resilience (48.5% vs. 26.1%; p < 0.001). In the adjusted analysis, high resilience was associated with a lower prevalence of low self-esteem (PR: 0.68; 95% CI: 0.53–0.86; p = 0.002). Other factors associated with low self-esteem included severe family dysfunction (PR: 2.17; 95% CI: 1.65–2.84; p < 0.001), family history of mental illness (PR: 1.19; 95% CI: 1.01–1.40; p = 0.043), and excessive television use (PR: 1.18; 95% CI: 1.04–1.33; p = 0.009). Conclusion Resilience emerged as a significant protective factor against low self-esteem in adolescents, while family dysfunction and a family history of mental illness were identified as risk factors. These findings underscore the need for school- and community-based strategies to enhance resilience, improve family functioning, and address modifiable risk factors, with the ultimate goal of promoting psychological well-being and preventing self-esteem problems in this population.