Impact of Activity Therapy on Improving the Self Esteem among Women with Mental Illness

Self-esteem is an important component of psychological health. Much previous research indicates that lowered self-esteem frequently accompanies psychiatric disorders. It has been suggested that low self-esteem is an etiological factor in many psychiatric conditions as well as in suicidal individuals. Self-esteem also plays some role in quality of life for psychiatric patients.

The objective of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness of activity therapy in improving the self-esteem of mentally ill women.

A quantitative, single-group pretest posttest design is adopted and Non- probability convenient sampling technique is used to select the 60 women with mental illness at psychiatric rehabilitation centre, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. Samples were divided in to four groups. In pre test the level of self esteem was assessed by Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale (RSES). Each group should to select in each week and gave the activity intervention. After the intervention the post was conducted.

Demographic variables were analyzed with descriptive (mean, median and standard deviation) and clinical variables were inferential statistics (Chi- square and paired “t” Test).

In this study 70.0% of the women have low self esteem score. After activity therapy intervention 76.7% of them are having normal self esteem score, 23.3% of the women are having low Self-esteem score. Women are gained 26.3% of self esteem.

These study findings concluded that nurse’s role in managing and improving the self esteem is obligatory. Through activity therapy, women with mental illness self-esteem had got improved 26.3% that indicate the effectiveness of activity therapy in improving the self-esteem of the women with mental illness.