The Effect of Laughter Yoga on Self-Care, Quality of Life and Stress Level in Menopause: A Randomized Controlled Study

Menopause; It is defined as the cessation of menstrual bleeding and loss of ovarian function. The average age of entering menopause is known as 45-50. With the increase in life expectancy at birth in the world and in our country, women spend one third of their lives in the menopause period and are affected by the changes experienced during menopause for a longer period. For this reason, as life expectancy increases, it is important for women to take care of themselves and to take appropriate health care so that they can go through the menopause period well and improve their quality of life.

Due to the depletion of the estrogen hormone during menopause, many effects occur in women, many signs and symptoms are experienced, and daily life activities are significantly adversely affected. The type and severity of menopausal complaints in women are experienced differently depending on the decrease in estrogen levels. Commonly reported physical symptoms include emotional symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, and sleep problems. In addition, physical symptoms such as vaginal dryness, loss of libido, skin dryness, and joint pain are observed. Physical, psychological and social changes that negatively affect women's self-care and quality of life during menopause are quite complex, and the nursing approach in this period includes diagnosis, support and health education.

The changes that a woman experiences during menopause can negatively affect her mood and prevent her from taking care of herself. He may not want to do positive things about his health. Studies have shown that the menopausal period affects the quality of life self care; refers to behaviors performed to maintain health or maintain physical and emotional balance.

There are barriers and facilitators to self-care. These; experience and skills, motivation, cultural beliefs and values, self-confidence, habits, functional and cognitive abilities, support from others, and access to care. These factors are important for women to cope with the problems they face during menopause, to perform self-care and to increase their quality of life. Mental changes in this period vary according to the way a woman perceives menopause, the culture she lives in, and the personality traits of the woman. While this process is considered easy in some societies, it may be perceived as a source of stress in other societies. Although menopause is sometimes met with relaxation and peace, most women experience a sense of loss; feel that their self-esteem and self-esteem have decreased. Recognition and coping with the menopause period, which impairs women's ability to be happy, productive and harmonious, has an important place in women's healthy and unproblematic life during this period. In a study by Tümer and Kartal (2018) that included 152 women to determine the relationship between women's attitudes towards menopause and their menopausal complaints, it was found that women with menopause experienced the most psychological complaints.

It is thought that it may be important to highlight personal resources that can play a protective role in order to reduce the negative effects of the difficult conditions women are in during the menopause process. In this context, it is predicted that personal resources such as conscious self-care may have protective effects on women's well-being. During the transition to menopause, women are at higher risk of developing depression, stress, anxiety, and emotional distress. Relaxation techniques and exercise programs are used to reduce the level of stress experienced. Among them, the best stress-busting method is considered to be laughing. As a therapy, laughter has positive effects such as lowering blood pressure, reducing stress, increasing immunity, and reducing pain.