Table 3.

Total, Direct, and Mediating Effects of Self-esteem on Depressive Symptoms in Middle Adulthood (ages 40’s – 50’s), using KHB Mediation Analysis and Decomposition Results by Gender, NLSY79^†

Self-esteem	Men (N = 1,676)			Women (N = 1,401)

	Estimates	Robust SE	Mediation Percentage	Estimates	Robust SE	Mediation Percentage
Total Effect	−.033^***	.008	NA	−.035^***	.009	NA
Direct Effect	−.029^***	.008	NA	−.035^***	.009	NA
Mediating Effect	−.005^**	.002	13.94%	.000	.001	−.74% ^a
via
Marijuana use	−.001	.001	2.36%	.000	.000	−.24%
Cocaine use	−.000	.001	.27%	.001	.001	−1.94%
Alcohol-urge	−.003^*	.001	8.08%	−.001	.001	1.73%
Alcohol-addiction	−.001	.001	3.22%	.000	.001	−.28%

Note:

^†

All models control for previous depressive symptoms level (1992), in addition to the control variables that were included in Table 2. CES-D scale uses a square-root transformation.

This indirect effect is not statistically significant

p<.05;

^**

p<.01;

^***

p<.001, two-tailed test.

NA= Not Available.