Korean J Child Health Nurs.  2001 Jul;7(3):342-358.

A Study on the Effect of the Group Counseling Program Developed by Applying Reality Therapy on the Body Image and Depression of Adolescent Women

• Jung YN

Abstract

The purpose of the study is both to develope the group counseling program applying Reality Therapy, by which positive body image could be conceived by adolescent women, by helping them identify their bodies as what they are, and then admit their real bodies, and also find out some practical methodologies of self-esteem, and to verify the program to show how effectively this program can be applied to them. Data were collected by self-reported questionnaires(body image and depression) from 59 high school girls in Seoul who were selected by criteria of this study, from the 1st of September to 10th of November, 2000. The experimental group participated in the group counseling by applying Reality Therapy with 8 sessions for 4 weeks. Descriptive statistics, homogeneity test, hypothesis testing, reliability were performed statistically by utilizing SAS pc program, and additionally the reaction due to the change of body image by adolescent women was also analyzed. The results drawn through the present study are as follows: 1. A hypothesis that "adolescent women who participated in the group counseling program by applying Reality Therapy may get higher points on body image than adolescent women who did not participated" has been adopted (t=6.73, p=.000). 2. A hypothesis that "adolescent women who participated in the group counseling program by applying Reality Therapy may get lower points on depression than adolescent women who did not participated" has been adopted (t=5.28, p=.000). 3. After applying the group counseling program, the degree of depression for upper group who obtained higher preliminary points on depression has decreased rather meaningfully more than that for lower group who obtained higher preliminary points(t=5.58, p=.000). 4. Reactions associated with positive change in body image of adolescent women who participated in the group counseling program by applying Reality Therapy has been shown to be body acceptance, enhancement of self-esteem, and change of value judgment of beauty. 5. The difference in the motivation and attitude of each group has been observed, by analyzing the reactions obtained from those who show the highest change of body image and those who show the lowest change of body image through the group counseling program by applying Reality Therapy. According to the present studies, it can be concluded that the group counseling program by applying Reality Therapy has turned out as an effective strategy for nursing intervention for adolescent women, by helping them form positive body images and reducing depression.

MeSH Terms

Adolescent*
Beauty
Body Image*
Counseling*
Depression*
Female
Humans
Judgment
Motivation
Nursing
Reality Therapy*
Seoul
Child Health