Effect of a Group Counseling Program With Phototherapy on Enhancing the Self-Perception and Self-Esteem of Female Middle School Students

Abstract

Objective The purpose of this study was to verify the effectiveness of a group counseling program with phototherapy for enhancing the self-perception and self-esteem of female adolescents. Methods The participants of this study were 40 female middle school students with 20 in the experimental group and 20 in the control group. We conducted an 8-week program with a 4-week follow-up session for the participants. Collected data were analyzed with t-tests, ANCOVA, and ANOVA with PASW Statistics 18.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL). Results The findings showed that the self-perception and self-esteem of the experimental group increased after the program whereas the control group showed no difference. In addition, the phototherapy group counseling program showed that the treatment effect was maintained even after 4 weeks. Conclusion The group phototherapy program helped the female middle school students' to build a more positive self-concept, with respect to both self-perception and self-esteem. Keywords: self-perception, self-esteem, female middle school students, phototherapy, group counseling program