RESUMO
Background: Self-esteem is positively associated to the well being of people and could be a good mental health indicator. Aim: To determine the reliability and validity of the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale in a Chilean adult sample. Material and methods: The instrument was applied to 473 subjects living in the Metropolitan Region of Santiago, evenly distributed according to gender, age, educational level and income. The Neugarten Life Satisfaction index (LSI-A) was also applied to the sample. Results: Cronbach's alpha for reliability of the scale was 0.754. There was no gender bias and factor analysis grouped items into two factors (5positive and 5 negative). The instrument had a correlation of 0.455 with the LSI-A. Conclusions: The Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale meets the criteria for validity and reliability of a quality instrument to measure self-esteem in Chile.