Impact of Self-Esteem Training on Individuals with Disabilities Aged 17-30

Several studies showed that higher levels of self-esteem are correlated with lower levels of anxiety and of depression, and higher satisfactory interpersonal relationships such as security and closeness, whereas low self-esteem was found to play a pivotal role as a risk factor for anxiety, emotion regulation problems and depression. Self-esteem is a key determinant of the psychological and social well-being of individuals, particularly in people with disabilities, who often face unique challenges related to self-acceptance and social inclusion. There is a paucity of specific research on the effectiveness of psychotherapeutic interventions targeting self-esteem in people with disabilities. This experimental comparative study aims to analyse changes in self-esteem, psychological well-being, anxiety and depression in a sample of 30 individuals with mild intellectual disability, aged between 17 and 30 years, who participated in a psychotherapeutic program focused on self-esteem training and the interview technique (Semi, 1985), conducted in a public setting. The individual psychotherapeutic program was structured into 8 weekly sessions, each lasting 90 minutes, for a total duration of 8 weeks. The intervention, using an uncontrolled trial, was supported by objective measurements taken from the patients before (T0) and after the psychotherapeutic program (T1). Results analysed using SPSS 2.0 software revealed significant improvements in the participants' self-esteem and psychological well-being, as well as a reduction in anxiety and depression symptoms among the patients involved in the study.