Self-concept: A predictor of mental health

Pages: 148-151
Manoj Kumar Rao (Department of Psychology, Bhanupratapdev Govt. P.G. College, Kanker, Chhattisgarh, India)
Preeti Tamta (Department of Psychology, S.S.J. Campus, Kumaun University, Almora, Uttarkhand, India)

The present study is an attempt to understand mental health in the context of self-concept of the participants. A 2 × 2 factorial design, with gender (boys and girls) × level of self-concept (low and high) was used in the present study. The high self-concept and low self-concept groups of adolescent were categorized on the basis of the median score obtain on self-concept scale (SCS) (mdn=40.5). SCS (Ahluwalia, 2002) and mental health inventory (Jagdish & Srivastva, 1996) tests were administrated on each of the groups. Results revealed the significant effects of level of self-concept. High self-concept group had better mental health than low self-concept group. Role of gender and gender × level of self-concept interaction were found insignificant. Regression results evinced that behavior, intellectual and school status, popularity, happiness and satisfaction and as a whole self-concept predicted positively whereas, anxiety has contributed negatively in mental health.