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