Guided imagery to affect depression and self-esteem in hospitalized adolescents

The problem. The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of guided imagery with adolescents hospitalized for depression.;Method. This study employed an experimental-control pre-test post-test design to assess changes in levels of depression and self-esteem in two groups of subjects. The subjects completed the Beck Depression Inventory and the Personal Orientation Inventory. The experimental group underwent guided imagery sessions two times per week for four weeks. Mean scores for both groups on the Beck Depression Inventory and each factor of the Personal Orientation Inventory were calculated for pre- and post-test measures. An analysis of variance was performed to determine if significant differences occurred within the groups between the pre- and post-tests. An analysis of variance was also conducted to determine if significant differences existed between the groups at the post-test.;The analysis revealed that the experimental group demonstrated a significant decrease in level of depression and a significant increase in level of self-esteem. The control group demonstrated no change in either depression or self-esteem.;Although the experimental group changed significantly on the level of depression, both groups were considered equal in this area after treatment. The self-esteem measure was comprised of two scales, Self-regard and Self-acceptance. The post-test analysis of these scales indicated that the experimental group scored significantly higher on the Self-acceptance scale. However, the groups were considered similar on the Self-regard scale.