LAUSR

Abstract This study aimed to elucidate the relationship between self-esteem and depressive symptoms on a day-to-day level in Chinese culture. We employed the daily diary methodology to measure self-esteem and depressive symptoms among college students every day for 14 consecutive days. The sample comprised 278 university students from Taiwan. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory Short Form, and self-esteem with the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Data were analyzed with an extension of the first-order vector autoregressive model to determine whether preceding state of self-esteem and depressive symptom severity predicted the subsequent state of the other. The preceding state of depressive symptom severity predicted the subsequent state of self-esteem, with no opposite effect. This may be attributed to cultural factors. In Chinese culture, individuals are encouraged to internalize or suppress depressive symptoms to maintain harmony in interpersonal relationships. Our findings are significant for the development of psychoeducation to improve coping strategies for depressive symptoms among Chinese people.