Reassurance Seeking Behavior and Interpersonal Difficulties in University Students: Mediating Role of Self-Esteem

The current study intended to investigate the role of self-esteem as a mediator between reassurance-seeking behavior and interpersonal difficulties in 300 university students (50% men and 50% women) aged between 18-30 years (M = 20.72, SD = 1.88). Measures consisted of the Reassurance Seeking Behavior Scale (Hafeez, 2020), Self-Esteem Scale (Zafar et al., 2012), Interpersonal Difficulty Scale (Saleem et al., 2014), and a demographic proforma. According to the results, reassurance-seeking behavior was positively correlated with low self-esteem, anxious self-esteem, and interpersonal difficulties. Low self-esteem and anxious self-esteem were also correlated positively with interpersonal difficulties. Furthermore, low self-esteem and anxious self-esteem significantly mediated the relationship between reassurance-seeking behavior and interpersonal difficulties in university students. The results of the study provide implications for mental health professionals in terms of developing structured prevention programs and taking preventative precautions to mitigate the devastating impacts of interpersonal difficulties.