Self-esteem may be regarded as a transdiagnostic factor in various mental health problems presented by patients in primary healthcare. Self-esteem consists of two dimensions, namely self-competence and self-liking, and can be conceptualised within the predictive processing framework. Predictions are based on exteroceptive and interoceptive information. Interoceptive awareness is the subjective experience of internal bodily signals. This study examined the extent to which interoceptive awareness explains variance in self-esteem. In this quantitative cross-sectional study, the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness 2 (MAIA-2-NL) and the Self-Liking, Self-Competence Scale-Revised (SLCS-R-NL) were administered to 102 participants recruited from a primary care setting. With the use of both single and multiple regression analyses, the role of interoceptive awareness in self-esteem was investigated. Almost half of the variance, 47% (adjusted R² = 0.47), in self-liking can be explained by the extent to which an individual trusts their body, listens to their body, and perceives signals from their body as non-troubling. For self-competence, 25% of the variance was explained by body trust and the ability to give attention to bodily signals. Interoceptive awareness accounts for a significant proportion of the variance in self-esteem. The degree of body trust plays a role in both dimensions of self-esteem and may be the most relevant factor. This study points to a strong association between interoceptive awareness and self-esteem, suggesting body-mind therapies targeting this construct may complement existing interventions to enhance self-esteem. Further research is needed to clarify causality.
Coenen et al. (2026) studied this question.