The Effect of Laughter Therapy on the Mental Health of Elderly Living in a Nursing Home

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Laughter; Mental Health Issue; Life Satisfaction; Well-Being, Psychological; Elderly

• Registration Number: NCT06722872
• Lead Sponsor: Istanbul University - Cerrahpasa

Brief Summary

This study was designed and conducted as a randomized controlled experimental research with a pre-test and post-test control group to evaluate the effect of laughter therapy on psychological well-being, life satisfaction, and mental health of elderly individuals living in a nursing home.

Detailed Description

Among the most important indicators of successful aging are individuals' ability to derive satisfaction from life, maintain cognitive and social competence, sustain mental and physical health, possess a sense of personal control, and experience increased longevity. Supporting elderly individuals to live independently, maintaining their social relationships, and encouraging healthy lifestyle behaviors are key to achieving an active and successful aging process.

Life satisfaction is considered one of the most significant factors influencing mental health and determining adaptation during all stages of life, particularly in old age. As an indicator of well-being, life satisfaction has a positive correlation with psychological resilience and mental health. Thus, psychological well-being, life satisfaction, and mental health of elderly individuals are interconnected, and interventions aimed at enhancing well-being and life satisfaction are known to positively affect the mental health of older adults.

In this context, laughter therapy has recently gained attention as an approach with observed positive effects on the physical and mental health of elderly individuals. Laughter therapy, developed by Dr. Madan Kataria in 1995, aims to support physical and mental health through laughter and breathing exercises.

Meta-analyses and systematic reviews indicate that laughter therapy has positive psychosocial effects on older adults, including reducing depression, perceived stress, and anxiety, enhancing psychological well-being, regulating blood pressure and cortisol levels, improving sleep and quality of life, reducing death anxiety, loneliness, and depressive tendencies, and increasing happiness, life satisfaction, and mood. Laughter therapy is considered a non-invasive, non-pharmacological, cost-effective, accessible, and easy-to-apply complementary/alternative therapy, with calls for further evidence-based studies to promote its use.

Within this framework, the aim of this research is to determine the effect of laughter therapy on the psychological well-being, life satisfaction, and mental health of elderly individuals.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2024-04-16
• Primary Completion: 2024-05-26
• Study Completion: 2024-06-26
• Status Verified: 2024-12
• Study First Submitted: 2024-12-03
• Study First Submitted QC: 2024-12-04
• Last Update Submitted: 2024-12-07
• Study First Posted: 2024-12-09
• Last Update Posted: 2024-12-10

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 69

Inclusion Criteria

• Being over the age of 65
• Scoring ≥ 18 points on the Mini-Mental Examination
• Having the ability to communicate
• Not having participated in a laughter therapy session before

Exclusion Criteria

• Having severe hearing or perception impairment that hinders communication
• Having a physical or psychological condition that prevents participation in therapy
• Having moderate-to-severe Alzheimer's disease, uncontrolled hypertension, epilepsy, abdominal surgery within the past 3 months, or a surgical procedure with a risk of bleeding
• Choosing not to continue participating in the study

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Psychological Well-Being Scale for Older Adults	Pre-test, Post-test (6th week), Follow-up Test (4th week)	The scale was used to measure the psychological well-being levels of older adults. It consists of 15 items in a 5-point Likert format (1 = Strongly Disagree to 5 = Strongly Agree). No specific cutoff score has been determined for the well-being levels of older adults. Higher scores indicate an increase in the level of well-being. The minimum score obtainable from the scale is 15, while the maximum score is 75.
Life Satisfaction Scale for Older Adults	Pre-test, Post-test (6th week), Follow-up Test (4th week)	The scale was used to assess the participation of older adults in the process of life satisfaction. It consists of 14 items across 3 subdimensions and is structured as a 5-point Likert scale (1 = Strongly Disagree to 5 = Strongly Agree). The scale includes 9 items under the "Self-Acceptance" subdimension, 2 items under the "Motivation" subdimension, and 3 items under the "Peace" subdimension. Scores range from 14 to 70, with individual subdimension scores calculated by dividing the total score by the number of items in each subdimension. The "Self-Acceptance" subdimension ranges from 9 to 45, the "Motivation" subdimension from 2 to 10, and the "Peace" subdimension from 3 to 15.
Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21)	Pre-test, Post-test (6th week), Follow-up Test (4th week)	The scale was used to assess the mood of older adults by identifying their levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. DASS-21 is a shortened version of the 42-item Depression Anxiety Stress Scale. It consists of 21 items in a 4-point Likert format (0 = Never, 1 = Sometimes, 2 = Often, 3 = Always) and includes three subdimensions: depression, anxiety, and stress. Each subdimension is measured by 7 questions.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

KASEV Huzurevi; 🇹🇷 Istanbul, Tuzla, Turkey