Self-esteem: 10 questionnaires and rating scales
Self-esteem questionnaires are psychometric tools that measure how people evaluate their own worth. They help identify low self-esteem, assess its intensity and track how it changes in clinical practice.

RSES
Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES)
This questionnaire aims to measure an individual's level of self-esteem. It consists of 10 statements about personal feelings and self-image. Respondents indicate their degree of agreement with each statement, which makes it possible to assess their global self-esteem and self-acceptance.

SEI
Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory (SEI)
The Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory is a psychological assessment tool used to measure a person's level of self-esteem. It is intended for various populations and helps clinicians better understand how a person perceives their own personal worth. It is a self-report questionnaire that the participant can complete independently.

PHCSCS-2
Piers-Harris Children’s Self-Concept Scale, Second Edition (PHCSCS-2)
The PHCSCS-2 is a self-report tool designed to measure global self-esteem and its dimensions in children and adolescents. It provides a detailed profile of self-concept across several domains, making it useful for screening, intervention planning, and psychological research.

SSES
State Self-Esteem Scale (SSES)
The State Self-Esteem Scale (SSES) is a self-report questionnaire for assessing self-esteem as experienced at a specific moment, as opposed to general or trait self-esteem. It measures fluctuations in self-esteem following various life events or experimental stimuli, across three dimensions: performance, social appearance, and social esteem.

CSE
Coping Self-Efficacy Scale (CSE)
The Coping Self-Efficacy Scale (CSE) is a self-report tool measuring a person's confidence in their ability to use effective coping strategies in difficult or stressful situations. It assesses perceived self-efficacy in different coping domains (enlisting social support, managing emotions, problem solving) and can be used for monitoring in psychotherapy or during clinical assessments.

SOQ
Self-Objectification Questionnaire (SOQ)
The Self-Objectification Questionnaire assesses the degree to which people internalize an objectified view of their own body, studied mainly in women but also applicable to men. It helps measure how values related to physical appearance influence behavior and self-esteem.

GSE
General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE)
The General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE) assesses an individual's general belief in their ability to cope with a variety of life situations. It is a widely used tool for measuring perceived self-confidence and the motivation to take on personal and professional challenges.

SPSSE
Scale of Perceived Social Self-Efficacy (SPSSE)
The SPSSE assesses the level of confidence an individual feels in their ability to handle a variety of social situations effectively. It is particularly used to measure social self-efficacy in adolescents and young adults in clinical or research settings, and it helps identify potential difficulties in social interactions.

SLCS
Self-Liking and Self-Competence Scale (SLCS)
The Self-Liking and Self-Competence Scale (SLCS) measures two distinct dimensions of self-esteem: the sense of personal worth (self-liking) and the perception of one's own competence (self-competence). This questionnaire helps differentiate the affective and cognitive aspects of self-esteem and can be useful in clinical assessment, research, or therapeutic follow-up with adolescents and adults.

SCT
Self-Confidence Test (SCT)
This questionnaire is designed to assess individuals' levels of self-confidence. It assesses three fundamental aspects: self-confidence, assertiveness skills and self-esteem.
Frequently asked questions
What does a self-esteem scale measure?
Most often, the person's overall evaluation of their own worth. Some tools explore specific domains.
Is self-esteem stable?
It has a stable component and a component sensitive to context and life events; monitoring helps document how it changes.
Why assess it in session?
Because low self-esteem accompanies many disorders and can be a treatment target in its own right.
Self-esteem in clinical practice
Self-esteem refers to a person's overall judgment of their own worth. It is a transdiagnostic dimension, often lowered in depression, anxiety and eating disorders.
Scales quantify self-esteem and how it changes; they shed light on psychological vulnerability and can serve as a treatment target.
- Self-esteem is a transdiagnostic factor, not a disorder in itself, and is not a DSM-5 diagnosis.
- Low self-esteem is associated with an increased risk of anxiety and depressive disorders.
- Global self-esteem differs from self-esteem specific to certain domains (social, physical, competence).