The effect of out-patient psychiatric treatment on self-esteem in latency aged children
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Abstract
Self Esteem - the Way persons feel about themselves - is considered a critical component of mental health. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine if eight latency-aged children (between the ages of 6 - 12 years 11 months) referred for outpatient psychiatric therapy due to social/family, emotional, and/or behavioral difficulties experi enced a heightened sense of self worth after three to four months of treatment. Rosenberg's (1979) theory on significant others was utilized. The main hypothesis p r oposed that therapists could potentially help children feel better about themselves through the close and supportive relationship that they maintained with these young patients during sever al months of outpat i ent treatment . All study candidates were administered the Piers-Harri s Childrens Self Concept Scale (1969) between their second and fifth therapy session. The scale was readministered three to four months later. A pre- post- test design was implemented . The results of this particular study indicated a pronounced trend as predicted by the hypothesis that therapy i mproves the sense of self worth . The null hypothesis, however, could not be rejected indicating that the demonstration of the effectiveness of therapy requires further investigation. Two notable trends were also found in this project. The first suggested that latency-aged children manifested a diminished sense of self worth after three to four months of treatment when therapy was attended sporadically. The second trend indicated that latency-aged females with a history of sexual abuse felt particularly negative about their physical appearance when they began treatment. Their conception of themselves, however, improved drama tica lly during the course of therapy. Implications for additional research were also explored aimed at enhancing future practice and education within the field of mental health.
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Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University
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