Low Self-Esteem in Women

Key things to know What the evidence shows
How common is it? Not established standardized prevalence
Is it more common among women? Global self-esteem scores are slightly lower than men's on average
Are women at higher risk? #N/A
How much higher is the risk? Modern meta-analysis: men higher by only g = 0.11 overall
How often can it be missed? #N/A
Does it show up differently among women? Yes
How might it look different? Appearance, relationships, competence, caregiving and social comparison may disproportionately shape self-evaluation; don't reduce women's self-esteem to appearance
What commonly occurs alongside it? #N/A
What can it be confused with? MDD; social anxiety; BDD; trauma-related negative beliefs
Common screening tool RSES — Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale
Separate screening tool for women None
1 of 14