“I am not good enough! Or am I?!” Adolescentsʼ self-esteem and emotional instability following parental divorce

Abstract

The present study aimed to investigate the potential impact of parental divorce on emotional instability, self-esteem, and attitudes toward divorce among late adolescents. We also explored the related potential gender differences. Our sample consisted of 136 participants aged 17 to 19 (M = 17.86, SD = .80), 66.2% females. All participants were students in their last two high-school years, and 30.9% came from divorced families. Our results suggested significant negative associations between the overall self-esteem and participants' emotional instability, regardless of the parental status (married or divorced). However, data suggested that participants from divorced families and females reported lower self-esteem and higher emotional instability. We discuss our findings regarding their implications for youth mental health following parental divorce.