Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

A Closer Look At Self-Esteem, Perceived Social Support, And Coping Strategy: A Prospective Study Of Depressive Symptomatology Across The Transition To College, Catherine Lee, Daniel A. Dickson, Colleen S. Conley, Grayson N. Holmbeck

Psychology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

The first year of college is a significant life transition, which is often characterized by stress and may contribute to the development or exacerbation of depressive symptoms. Due to the considerable negative outcomes that are associated with depressive symptoms across the lifespan, it is important to understand the mechanisms and pathways through which depressive symptoms arise. This prospective study examines the mediating and moderating roles of perceived social support and disengagement coping on the association between self-esteem and depressive symptomatology in a sample of 1,118 first-year college students. Results of longitudinal cross-lagged path analyses indicate that self-esteem predicts depressive symptomatology …