Relationship of Self-Esteem And Body Esteem With Social Anxiety Among Psychiatric Patients

Abstract

Objective: The study was designed to demonstrate the relationship of self-esteem and body-esteem with social anxiety among psychiatric patients and to explore the split up of participants as per gender. Study Design: Cross Sectional Study. Duration and the Place of the study: The study was conducted from July, 2010 to Jan, 2011 in Outdoor of psychiatry department DHQ hospital Faisalabad. Patients and Methods: This comparative study was carried out as per inclusion and exclusion criteria. Mild to moderate patients of psychiatric disorders (anxiety disorders, mood disorders, somatoform disorders and drug dependence) were included in the study and patients who had severe psychotic features and psychotic illness such as schizophrenia were excluded from study. A sample of 201 patients of psychiatric disorders was collected which comprised of 90 males and 111 females through purposive convenient sampling technique. The test  booklet comprised of three instruments including, The Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, The Body Esteem Scale,  informed consent form and demographic variables form. To diagnose the patients with psychiatric disorders, the diagnostic criteria of DSM IV^TR were employed. Results: Results showed that there is negative relationship between social anxiety and self- esteem among psychiatric patients. Correlation is significant at the P<0.01 level. Self-Esteem and body-esteem have positive relationship among male  psychiatric patients P<0.01. Self-Esteem and body-esteem also have positive relationship among female psychiatric patients P<0.01. Result showed that there was insignificant correlation between social anxiety and body-esteem among male psychiatric patients P=ns. Social anxiety and body-esteem have significant relationship among female psychiatric patients P<0.01. Female psychiatric patients have high level of social anxiety M=76.89, SD=15.65, than male psychiatric patients M=68.39, SD=19.65, where t=-3.417, df=199, P=0.0005. There is non significant difference on self esteem scale between female psychiatric patients M=9.57, SD=2.65 and male psychiatric patients M=9.27, SD=2.49, where (t=-.822, df=199, P=0.206. Conclusion: Female psychiatric patients have high level of social anxiety as compared to male psychiatric patients. Self-esteem and body esteem have positive relationship among male psychiatric patients as well as female psychiatric patients There is no significant difference on self esteem scale between female psychiatric patients and male psychiatric patients. In clinical practice it is suggested that clinicians should take into account co morbidity of social anxiety, self esteem and body esteem in psychiatric patients when planning treatment approaches.