A nurse asks a patient, "How do you feel about yourself?" What is being assessed?

The question posed by the nurse, "How do you feel about yourself?" specifically targets the patient’s self-esteem. Self-esteem refers to an individual’s overall assessment of their worth and value, reflecting their beliefs and emotions about themselves. This encompasses feelings of self-acceptance and self-respect, which are critical to one's self-concept.

When the nurse inquires about how the patient feels about themselves, it directly encourages the patient to evaluate their self-worth, which is central to understanding self-esteem. A healthy self-esteem can lead to positive mental health outcomes and improved coping strategies, while low self-esteem may be associated with various psychological challenges.

In contrast, identity refers to how individuals perceive themselves in relation to various factors such as personal history, culture, and social roles; body image involves perceptions of one’s physical appearance and how this affects self-perception; and role performance involves how well an individual fulfills societal or personal roles, such as being a parent, employee, or friend. While these concepts are interconnected, the specific question about feelings toward oneself focuses primarily on self-esteem.