Self-Esteem not a predictor of relapse

A new study finds that self-esteem is not a predictor of relapse:

This study investigates whether self-esteem is associated with clinical and demographic characteristics, self-efficacy expectancies, and post-treatment drinking outcomes. Forty-one (40.6%) women and 60 (59.4%) men were recruited during inpatient alcohol dependence treatment. At baseline, lower self-esteem was significantly associated with current depression and other psychiatric disorders. Self-esteem was not related to gender, relapse, other one-year drinking outcomes, or self-efficacy. Age and psychiatric disorders were strong predictors of self-esteem at follow-up. This study suggests that different perceptions of the self have unique roles in recovery from alcohol use disorders.