I recently came across this article being shared on social media with the title, “Study Finds Tattoos Can Contribute to Higher Self-Esteem.” While I do not have a tattoo myself, I was intrigued by the idea and wanted to learn more. I know many people who have tattoos, whether it be one or a few or several dozen, but I have no idea how or if their having a tattoo changed their perceptions of themselves or not. I also know many people who have bad tattoos, or ones that they now regret getting in the first place, and wondered if that tied in with the results of this study at all.
The observational study from Texas Tech University, called “Tattoos, gender, and well-being among American college students,” gathered data from 2,394 students attending six public universities across the United States. The researchers set out to collect data on the quantities of tattoos individuals possessed, along with self-disclosed levels of, “self-esteem, depression, suicide ideation, and reports of one or more suicide attempts.” To measure these variables, participants were given a survey that used scales to collect data on their self-esteem, levels of depression, and amount of suicidal thoughts. They also collected data on gender and number of tattoos.
The findings showed several expected relationships in the variables, including a positive relationship between suicide attempts and depression/suicidal thoughts, and that reports of depression correlate with suicide attempts, thoughts of suicide, and decreased self-esteem.
The most interesting finding involves the correlation between number of tattoos and the other variables. Reportedly, number of tattoos is not associated with suicidal thoughts, but is positively related to depression and attempted suicide. As shown in the graph below, among all participants with four or more tattoos, 24.5% had attempted suicide at least once. This is more than double the amount for those with 2 to 3 tattoos, and significantly more than the 7% of attempters with no tattoos. The percentage of those who had attempted suicide and had 4 or more tattoos was almost 7% higher among women than men.
Despite this, the study found that the number of tattoos also had a positive relationship with self-esteem. Among females, those with four or more tattoos reported significantly higher self-esteem than those with 4 or less tattoos. In the report, the researches suggested a possible explanation for why females with 4 or more tattoos were more likely to have attempted suicide but also to have higher self-esteem: women who have experiences the emotional damages and trauma that come with suicidal thoughts and acts may be more likely to get tattoos as coping mechanisms or efforts of “emotional restoration”. Although this is just a possibility of what could be, the results of the study to hi-light an interesting paradox.
There are a few problems with the study, including the fact that it is purely observational, and participants may not be answering totally truthfully or accurately. Also, because the study is not made up of randomly selected participants, but rather was completed on a volunteer basis, it may not be an accurate representation of young people across the country. More and larger studies should be done to ensure that the findings are consistent. A future survey could also include asking the time order of when participants received tattoos, had thoughts/attempts of suicide, etc., in order to rule out reverse causation.
This post caught my eye because over the summer I was about to get a tattoo, but then decided against it. I never really thought about the correlation between a tattoo and self esteem, but upon reading your blog post it is more understandable. I also had no idea that attempted suicide rates were higher for those with tattoos, as even though I decided to not get a tattoo, I have never had suicidal thoughts. While it makes sense that those with tattoos may in fact have higher self esteem, I feel it could be greatly lowered because it is still not entirely accepted in the professional world. Therefore those with many tattoos may find it especially hard to have a professional and high paying job. Read more about tattoos and the workplace here!
This post was very interesting. I never would have thought that tattoos and high self esteem are positively correlated. I think that this definitely varies from person to person. If I were to get a tattoo, my self esteem would go down afterwards because I am not a big fan of tattoos. I think that this study totally has to do with the person’s mental state before the tattoo and why they got the tattoo. I believe that most people get tattoos as a form of self expression. They get a tattoo of something that they like, and so they feel better about themselves afterward. I know that my friend gets tattoos of things that mean a lot to her, and therefore she probably feels better about herself having these tattoos. I think that tattoos could deinitely have a negative impact. In this article in the Huffington Post, they tell a story about a woman who had a “tramp stamp” and everyone who saw, judged her. This could lead to bullying and other negative remarks toward the person. According to the article, 38% of Americans have tattoos. I think this is pretty high, and I wonder what all the reasons people get them are, and how they view themselves. Thank you for sharing this!!
I’m thinking about getting a tattoo so I was very interested when I saw your post. I’ve never had suicidal thoughts so I don’t think I would agree with the study. However, when I looked on the internet I couldn’t find any articles or studies that would support getting a tattoo. They usually state that people that get tattoos lead unhappy lives. Interesting post!