Efficacy of Anger Management Training on increasing Mental Health of Disabled Children Mothers

The child's birth is apleasure for parents, although this process is associated with a lot of hardship. Hope for child health develops a sense of confidence in parents and they heartily accept their child but as soon as they become aware of their child's disability, all hope turns to despair and hence trouble starts. Stress, depression and anger are common emotions that parents then experience. The overall aim of this study was to investigate the effect of anger management training on the mental health of mothers of the disabled children in the city of Yazd. This is anexperimental study with a pretest-posttest control group. The population of this study included all the mothers of the disabled children being covered in Yazd city from 2011 to 2012. Sample of this study consisted of 35 mothers randomlyassigned into two groups(18 to experimental and 17 to control group). Mental health questionnaire was used to collect data.The anger management training program based on cognitive-behavioral approach was implemented for the experimental group in seven sessions, 2 hours each. Data were then analyzed using descriptive statistical parameters (mean and SD) and independent t-test on the difference between the scores of pre-test - post-test. Results showed that Anger management training with a statistically significant difference between pre-and post-test scores leads to mental health and subscale physical symptoms, anxiety and insomnia, as well as depression (with the exception of societal dysfunction). Also, anger management training reduced the physical symptoms and depression in young mothers compared to the aged. With regard to the effective use of anger management training program to increase mental health, thetrainingprogramshouldbe directedtoward reducingstress.