Gunel Ogtay Shahinzade

THE PROBLEM OF SELF-ESTEEM OF CHİLDREN GROWİNG UP İN ORPHANAGES

Abstract. Analyzing number of children growing up in orphanages in our country, it becomes clear that the indicators are constantly increasing over the years. Thus, in 1991, there were 9 orphanages in our country, in 2001 - 10, in 2021 - 13, and in 2023 - 16, and the number of children increased from 633 to 846 in those years. In the statistical records of 2023, 792 of these children were children deprived of parental care (State Statistical Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan, 2023) [7].

A person is not only a biological but also a social being. Therefore, every person has a need for social relationships and the environment. From the moment a person is born, he begins to assimilate the norms of the society he is in, and along with the norms of society, a person also begins to learn and understand his own self. As he learns his own self, feelings, thoughts and personality, he adapts it to the norms. Each person evaluates himself as a person according to the norms. He interprets his behavior, thoughts and feelings from this context. A person's behavior is regulated by his family from childhood according to the norms. Self-esteem is first of all formed by how the environment evaluates us.

The gradual increase in the number of children living in orphanages emphasizes the importance of studying the self-esteem of these children. The purpose of this study is to analyze the mental health sphere of children in orphanages, their self-esteem, and to analyze articles published in this direction in our country and abroad.

Keywords: orphanages, deprivation of parental care, self-esteem, personality, mental health