SELF-CONCEPT AND DEPRESSION: A MEDIATION MODEL OF UPWARD COMPARISON ON INSTAGRAM
Keywords:
depression, upward comparison, mediation, self-conceptAbstract
Objectives: The objectives were to investigate the relationship between self-concept and depression by using upward comparison on Instagram as a mediator in adolescents.
Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study. The participants included 466 adolescents between the ages of 15-18 years old with an Instagram account. This research employed purposive sampling using an online survey. The survey consisted of demographic questions, Piers-Harris Children’s Self-Concept Scale 2nd Edition, Upward Comparison on Instagram Scale, and Center Epidemiologic Studies-Depressions Scale (CES-D) Thai version. The analysis explored the relationship between self-concept, depression, and upward comparison by using Pearson’s correlation and the mediation model through PROCESS 3.4 macro. The mediation analysis used Bootstrapping, repeating random sampling at least 5000, with a 95% confidence interval.
Results: Self-concept had a negative correlation with depression (r = -0.764) and upward comparison on Instagram (r = -0.520). However, upward comparison had a positive correlation with depression (r = 0.546). Regarding mediation, upward comparison was a partial mediator between self-concept and depression. Both self-concept and upward comparison on Instagram predicted depression by 61.0%.
Conclusion: Adolescents with low self-concepts are more likely to be depressed. In addition, if individuals engage in upward social comparison, they are more likely to experience depression. Therefore, adolescents, who are in the age of social media, should be encouraged to have a positive self-concept and reduce an upward comparison.
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