Internalization of Western Ideals on Appearance and Self-Esteem in Jamaican Undergraduate Students.

Beauty ideals in the Caribbean are shifting with increased exposure to Western and European standards of appearance. Previous research has shown a consistent link between internalization of Western beauty ideals and depressive symptoms and other forms of psychological disturbance among diverse populations including Caribbeans. We examined the association between internalization of Western beauty ideals and depressive symptoms as well as the potential mediating role of self-esteem on this relation in N = 222 students (155 females, 79 males) attending a tertiary institution in Kingston, Jamaica.