Comparative Study On The Present Situation Of College Students’ Self-esteem Between 2011 And 2014 And Its Related Factors In Shandong Province

BackgroundSelf-esteem can reflect the individual’s sense of self value and self attitude objectively, and it is closely related with the personality and mental health of college students. It is one of the objective indicators to evaluate the level of mental health. With the rapid development of the social economy, College students’ mental health status under the new social background should be widely attention from all social circles. This period in college is an important to mental state tending to be mature. A large number of domestic and foreign scholars study shows that self-esteem plays a regulate role on personal mood. When the level of self-esteem is low, the individual is difficult to experience positive emotions. Violence, alcohol and drug dependence were correlated with self-esteem closely. Therefore, analyzing on the current situation of college students’ self-esteem, controlling strategy for psychological problems and providing the theory reference, which have important practical significance.Objectives1.To research the status of college students’ self-esteem in Shandong province and examine the change trend of college students’ self-esteem in 2011 and 2014.2.Using the path analysis method to explore the influence factors on college students’ self-esteem in some ares of Shandong province, building the PLS path model of factors on affecting college students’ self-esteem to make a confirmed analysis.3. Investigating the effects of various factors in the internal models for direct and indirect effects on self-esteem, we may provide a theoretical basis for the prevention and treatment of students’ psychological problems.MethodsStratified random cluster sampling method was used in this research. Freshmen to senior students in the east, center and west of Shandong province were selected as sampling ares in seven colleges randomly. The sample was stratified according to different professionals, including engineering, agricultural science, liberal arts, science and medicine. A total of 1500 questionnaires were issued and 1413 effective questionnaires were taken back eventually. The effective rate was 91.2%. Self-esteem scale for college students, Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS) and college students’ basic information questionnaire were applied. Epidata was used to establish a database. SPSS 16.0 and SMART 2.0 software were used to analysis date and build models.Results1.The status of college students’ self-esteem results show:24.91% of college students were in the low self-esteem, the detection of boys’low self-esteem was equal with girls’, which was 24.9%. The detection rates of low self-esteem in the city were 4.7% higher than in the countryside and seniors’were higher than freshmen’s. The detection rates of low self-esteem from agricultural professional were the highest. In the various factors of self-esteem scale the detection rates of low self-esteem were 27.1% which ranked first. The total scores of self-esteem was negative correlated with social support scores in spite of the overall self-esteem. The remaining factors were all positive correlated with social support scale factors.2.The comparison of college students’ self-esteem scores in 2011 and 2014: self-esteem showed a rising trend in 2014 compared with 2011, the internal factor of self-esteem, such as physical self-esteem, social self-esteem also showed a rising trend. However, interpersonal self-esteem decreased and all above differences had significance statistically.3.The construction of PLS path model with the influence factors of the college students’ self esteem:Through repeated study on initial model, family factors, school factors, lifestyle factors, interpersonal factors, demographic factors and social support factors of the six latent variables were included in the final model. In spite of lifestyle factors’ path coefficient at the level of a=0.2 with statistical significance. The remaining variables were statistically significant at the level of α=0.01. which showed that these latent variables were the factors affecting for college students’ self-esteem.4. Direct and indirect effect paths on each latent variable to self-esteem:Family factors had a path with direct effect and four path with indirect effect to self-esteem. They were the family factorsâ†' social support factorsâ†' self-esteem, family factors â†'demographic factorsâ†' self-esteem, family factorsâ†' interpersonal factorsâ†' self-esteem,family factorsâ†' school factorsâ†' self-esteem; School factors had an important direct path at the same time there are three indirect effect path on self-Esteem. social support factors, family factors and interpersonal factors were the intermediate variables respectively; The direct effect of lifestyle factors was not obvious, but there were four indirect paths, social support factors, family factors. school factors, interpersonal factors were intermediate variables respectively; Interpersonal relationship factors in addition to the direct effect. also there were three with family factors respectively, family factors, demographic factors, social support factors were intermediate variables; There were only one direct path and indirect path for demographic factors, demographic factorsâ†' interpersonal factorsâ†' self-esteem; Besides the direct effect path there are three indirect paths social support factors on the self-esteem, family factors, interpersonal factors and school factors were the intermediate variables.Main Results1. The level of college students’ self-esteem was a kind of upward trend, while the low self-esteem detection rates of the high grade, the agricultural majors and altruistic self-esteem were at a high level. The family, school and society should pay attention to them and take appropriate measures to improve college students’self-esteem.2. The level of social support and self-esteem were related closely, taking measures to improve the students’level of social support, so as to improve the level of self-esteem.3. It is a combined effect of the family factors, school factors, lifestyle factors, interpersonal factors, demographic factors.The influencing factors are not independent each other but interacted, some various variables are direct variables and are also indirect effects of intermediate variables.Countermeasures and Suggestions1. The individual level:College students in the university should not only strive to learn professional knowledge, but also pay attention to the improvement of physical and mental health.(1)To insist on developing exercise and regular life habits; (2) To strengthen the cooperation and communication among students and professions; (3) To keep optimistic and to strengthen emotions with friends, to establish good interpersonal bridges.2. The family level:(1)To create a harmonious family environment and parents’ parenting styles still cannot be ignored; (2) Young people should take participate in this parent-child relationship and take care of parents actively.3. School level:(1) Counseling regular psychological and career guidance lectures with focusing on graduates and the students in agriculture professional; (2) To Emphasis on physical education schools and to develop practical workout plans; (3) To carry out various forms of campus activities and summer social practice so that students could get a rich life experience.4. Social level:To give more care and encouragement to students for the creation of a safe and harmonious social environment.