Self-esteem is the staple of one’s self, the value and worth a person has of themselves. With the core of how one views themselves being so important having a healthy and confident self-esteem known as high self-esteem, influences a person’s overall quality of life. When a person does not have a high self-esteem their overall quality of life is lowered. Those with ID endeavor low self-esteem on a consistent basis. Research suggests individuals with ID who observe themselves to have an intellectual disability are more likely to have lower self-esteem than those who do not (p.4). Green, Davis, Karshmer, Marsh & Straight (2005) suggests that the “essence of one’s self is developed in reference to the reactions …show more content…
2). Social interactions has a great influence on how a person with ID views themselves. For those social interactions that are influenced by stigma in relation to those individuals with ID a lower self-esteem is perceived, therefore evidence would suggest a low self-esteem negatively impacts a person’s quality of life. Research also suggests that when individuals with ID “internalize the non-intellectually disabled population stigmatizing notions, those notions become personally relevant to their lives and can result in negative psychosocial outcomes” (Green, et al. 2005, p. 207). Social awkwardness and less social interactions an individual with ID would suggest an increased risk of an isolated and lonely life. When interviewing a person with ID over the attached stigma this individual indicated “his wish to break out of his stigmatized status as someone with an intellectual disability, who has led a rather isolated and lonely life” (Jahoda, Wilson, Alastair, Stalker, & Cairney, 2010, p. 14). A life of low self-esteem, isolation, and loneliness does not encourage healthy emotions or mental health for an individual with