• Korean Journal of Child Studies
• /
• v.31 no.2
• /
• pp.197-207
• /
• 2010

The aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a Laughter Therapy Group Counseling Program on overcoming anxiety, depression, and improving the self-esteem of mothers. The State-Trait Anger Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory, and the Self-Esteem Scale were used as a pre-test, post-test, and follow-up test respectively. The test results were analyzed using a t-test, a one-way analysis of variance. Twelve mothers suffering from anxiety and depression participated in eight sessions of the program, and were then compared with twelve mothers in the control group who did not receive the treatment. The treatment group showed statistically significant improvements in self-esteem, and reduced levels of anxiety and depression, in comparison to the control group. It was concluded that the program was effective in overcoming anxiety, depression, and improving self-esteem in mothers.

• The Journal of Korean Society for School & Community Health Education
• /
• v.16 no.2
• /
• pp.101-114
• /
• 2015

Objectives: Find out how it affects anxiety situations and self-esteem targeting the critical period of development of self-esteem in the lower grades in elementary school based on laughter therapy in having a positive influence on physical health promotion and positive emotional cultivation. And to verify the effects of laughter activity was to provide preliminary data on mental health education and guidance of school life. Methods: By targeting Ulsan Y elementary school, second grade 7 class, 191 students conducted test self-esteem and anxiety. Homogeneous group of experimental and control groups were selected in each one class. Classified as experimental group carried out laughter activity programs and control group did not carried out. Also the separation of the application program before and after, then it were performed preliminary-post-further as same checklist. Program coverage period is 12 weeks and 30 minutes per session was conducted twice a week. Differences between the experimental group and the comparison group has conducted the independent samples t-test, and if the difference between the experimental group and the comparison group were verified by performing a variance analysis(Oneway ANOVA) and post multiple comparisons. Results: Analysis of the experimental group decreased anxiety in the post-test than the pre-test as a whole, in particular, sub-areas of concern, shame and shyness was shown to be effective, and decision of the difficulty was not significant by insignificant reduction. In addition, self-esteem was increased in overall score. The score of collective self-esteem and School life self-esteem were more increased, and domestic self-esteem was not significant by slight increases. In contrast, the comparison group showed no significant difference in all areas of anxiety and self-esteem of pre-test and post-test. Conclusions: In experiments on self-esteem and anxiety of lower grade in elementary school through laughter activity program, comparison group it did not show an effect by accident, and experimental group showed meaningful effects that self-esteem was increased and anxiety was reduced. Thus, laughter activity can be seen that improving self-esteem, anxiety reduction and etc, is very beneficial to mental health.