Background: Although the association between major depressive disorder (MDD) and low self-esteem is well established, we do not know if race and ethnicity modify the magnitude of this link.

Objectives: Using a nationally representative sample of adults in the United States, we explored whether or not race alters the association between MDD and self-esteem.

Materials and Methods: Data came from the National Survey of American Life (NSAL), a nationally representative household survey with 3,570 African Americans (Blacks) and 891 Non-Hispanic Whites. Low self-esteem (Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale) was the dependent variable, MDD (Composite International Diagnostic Interview) was the independent variables, gender, age and educational level were controls, and race was the focal moderator. Logistic regressions were used for data analysis.

Results: In the pooled sample, MDD and low self-esteem showed reciprocal associations, above and beyond all covariates. Our model showed significant interaction between race and MDD, suggesting a stronger association between MDD and self-esteem among Blacks compared to Whites. We could find such interactions among men but not women.

Conclusion: Depression and low self-esteem are more strongly linked among Blacks than Whites, particularly among men. It is not clear whether depression leaves a larger scar on self-esteem for Blacks or that Blacks are more vulnerable to the effect of low self-esteem on depression.