Purpose: To analyze the unidimensionality of the nursing diagnoses low situational self-esteem and low chronic self-esteem proposed by NANDA-I.
Desing and methods: Diagnostic accuracy study carried out with 180 patients with depressed mood in a psychiatric hospital in northeastern Brazil.
Findings: The analysis of the latent class considered the hypothesis of low self-esteem as a unique construct and included the indicators: Excessive seeking of reassurance, repeatedly unsuccessfulness in life events, rejection of positive feedback, insomnia, solitude, and nonassertive behavior.
Practice implications: The recognition of low self-esteem as a unique diagnostic construct allows nurses to be more assertive in the provision of care.
Keywords: mental health; mood disorders; nursing diagnosis; psychiatric nursing; self-esteem.
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