Improving Self-Esteem With Motivational Quotes: Opportunities for Digital Health Technologies for People With Chronic Disorders.

Alisa Bedrov,Grzegorz Bulaj

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02126

Abstract

Living with a chronic medical condition is often accompanied by low self-esteem, a diminished sense of personal worth, and lower self-efficacy, a diminished sense of one's ability to influence behavioral outcomes. This can significantly affect health-related quality of life and wellbeing, with low self-esteem and self-efficacy contributing to poor coping, helplessness, a decrease in positive health behaviors, and increased risk of comorbidities. Thus, it becomes important to promote self-esteem and empowerment over one's condition. Digital health technologies (also known as mobile health, mHealth, digital medicine, or digital therapeutics) have received increased recognition among chronically-ill patients and healthcare professionals as non-pharmacological treatment strategies for providing disease-specific, self-management content while also improving patient engagement. Since motivational quotes are increasingly used in various media and therapeutic programs to promote positive thinking and self-esteem, this article explores their medical applications and integration into digital health, with particular emphasis on tailoring different categories of motivational quotes to address specific causes of low self-esteem in chronically-ill adult populations.

Highlights

Living with a chronic medical condition is often accompanied by low self-esteem, a diminished sense of personal worth, and lower self-efficacy, a diminished sense of one’s ability to influence behavioral outcomes
This can significantly affect health-related quality of life and wellbeing, with low self-esteem and self-efficacy contributing to poor coping, helplessness, a decrease in positive health behaviors, and increased risk of comorbidities
Since motivational quotes are increasingly used in various media and therapeutic programs to promote positive thinking and self-esteem, this article explores their medical applications and integration into digital health, with particular emphasis on tailoring different categories of motivational quotes to address specific causes of low self-esteem in chronically-ill adult populations

Summary

INTRODUCTION

Living with a chronic medical condition is often accompanied by low self-esteem, a diminished sense of personal worth, and lower self-efficacy, a diminished sense of one’s ability to influence behavioral outcomes. Mental illness is frequently accompanied by depressed mood and anxiety, and chronic physical diseases such as asthma, arthritis, and diabetes have been associated with comorbid depression (Moussavi et al, 2007; Connell et al, 2012) Another struggle for chronically-ill individuals is low self-esteem, which is both a consequence of the condition and obstacle for effective self-management and coping. Living with a chronic disease often makes one feel isolated or excluded, whether it be from perceived disease-related stigma or missing out on social activities due to decreased mobility or high treatment demands In this case, the best way to address low self-esteem is to situate the individual within a social context, allowing one to relate to others or receive direct feedback indicating understanding and social acceptance.

Quote type

Reality check General statement

DIGITAL HEALTH AND MOBILE MEDICAL APPLICATIONS