PURPOSE
The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of laughter therapy on depression and sleep among patients at two long-term care (LTC) hospitals.
METHODS
Forty-two residents from two LTC hospitals participated in this study. Twenty-one residents at one LTC hospital received the laugher therapy treatment and 21 at the other LTC hospital received no treatment as a comparison group. The laugher therapy protocol consisted of singing funny songs, laughing for diversion, stretching, playing with hands and dance routines, laughing exercises, healthy clapping, and laughing aloud. The participants engaged in the protocol 40 minutes twice a week (Monday/Thursday) for a total of eight sessions held in the patients' lounge.
RESULTS
Findings showed that depression and sleep improved in the treatment group compared to the comparison group (t=-7.12, p < .001; Z=-4.16, p < .001).
CONCLUSION
To improve depression and sleep among patients at LTC hospitals, offering laughter therapy strengthening physical activities might be beneficial to patients.

Citations

• Impact of Laughter Yoga on Test Anxiety and Education Stress of 8th Grade Students: An Experimental Study
  Bilge Kalanlar, Nilgün Kuru Alıcı
  Creative Nursing.2024; 30(4): 280.     CrossRef
• The Effects of Laughter Therapy, Music Listening and Diary Keeping Given to Pregnant Women on Mental Health and Maternal Attachment Levels in Postpartum Period
  Sibel Kıyak, Deniz Koçoğlu-tanyer
  Sağlık Bilimlerinde Değer.2024; 14(3): 425.     CrossRef
• Effectiveness of yoga and laughter yoga in improving psychological resilience of mothers with babies hospitalized in neonatal intensive care unit
  Zerrin Çiğdem, Emine Sarikamiş Kale, Tuba Koç Özkan
  Journal of Health Psychology.2024;[Epub]     CrossRef
• The Effect of Laughter Therapy/Yoga on Physical and Mental Health: A Review of Nursing Graduate Theses
  Özkan UĞUZ
  Kastamonu Üniversitesi Sağlık Bilimleri Fakültesi Dergisi.2023; 2(3): 148.     CrossRef
• Effect of Laughter Yoga on Sleep and Quality of Life in Individuals With Fecal Ostomies
  Deniz Harputlu, Fatma Özlem Öztürk, Durucan Aydın, Cihangir Akyol, Ayfer Tezel
  Journal of Wound, Ostomy & Continence Nursing.2023; 50(4): 307.     CrossRef
• The influence of laughter yoga on pregnancy symptoms, mental well-being, and prenatal attachment: A randomized controlled study
  Safiye Ağapınar Şahin, Mine Bekar
  Health Care for Women International.2023; 44(6): 782.     CrossRef
• Ebelik Uygulamalarına Tamamlayıcı Bir Yaklaşım: Duygu Dilinin Evrensel İfadesi, Kahkaha Yogası
  Safiye AĞAPINAR ŞAHİN, Mine BEKAR
  Mersin Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Lokman Hekim Tıp Tarihi ve Folklorik Tıp Dergisi.2022; 12(1): 49.     CrossRef
• Non-pharmacological Approaches to Depressed Elderly With No or Mild Cognitive Impairment in Long-Term Care Facilities. A Systematic Review of the Literature
  Carla Gramaglia, Eleonora Gattoni, Debora Marangon, Diego Concina, Elena Grossini, Carmela Rinaldi, Massimiliano Panella, Patrizia Zeppegno
  Frontiers in Public Health.2021;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Effects of laughter yoga on hemodialysis patients’ plasma-beta endorphin levels, pain levels and sleep quality: A randomized controlled trial
  Zülfünaz Özer, Sebahat Ateş
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• GELENEKSEL VE TAMAMLAYICI TIP UYGULAMALARININ GÜLEN YÜZÜ: KAHKAHA YOGASI
  Zülfünaz ÖZER, Sebahat AKBAL ATEŞ
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  Nilgün Kuru Alici, Ayse Arikan Dönmez
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  Go-Un Kim, Ju Hee Lee
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  Myoungjin Kwon, Sun-Ae Kim, Kawoun Seo
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• EFFECT OF LAUGHTER THERAPY ON DEPRESSION LEVEL IN ELDERLY IN A NURSING HOME, NORTH SUMATRA, INDONESIA
  Rinco Siregar, Rumondang Gultom
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PURPOSE
This study is aimed at showing the effect of work-site health promotion programs for health promoting behavior, cholesterol, and quality of life of middle-aged workers.
METHOD
Thirty-one middle-aged workers were the experimental group and thirty-one were the control group. The 8-week work-site health promotion program was given to the experimental group. After this, health promoting behavior, cholesterol and quality of life were measured by questionnaires for the experimental and control groups. Health promotion theory, flexibility and muscle strength, aerobic exercise, nutrition, stress management, cancer prevention and early detection, smoking and alcohol problems, and summary lecture were all included in the 8-week work-site health promotion program. Health promoting behavior was measured by Park's HPBS, cholesterol was measured by enzyme method, and quality of life was measured by Ro's QOL.
RESULT
The experimental group showed a higher score of health promoting behavior than the control group. There were no differences on cholesterol and quality of life between the experimental and control groups.
CONCLUSION
It is necessary that nurses provide middle-aged workers with work-site health promotion programs to improve health promoting behavior. It's necessary also to re-study this with the pre-post research design.