PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of laughter therapy on depression, anxiety, fatigue, and quality of sleep in gastrointestinal cancer survivors. METHODS: This study was a randomized controlled trial. We compared the effect of laughter therapy with usual care only in post chemotherapy gastrointestinal patients. Outcomes included changes in depression and anxiety (according to the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), fatigue (according to the Fatigue Severity Scale), and quality of sleep (according to the Verran & Synder-Halpern Sleep Scale). Data was collected July 2015 through January 2016. Seventy nine participants who agreed to participate in this study were randomized to either the experimental group (n=40) or the control group (n=39). Therapy included eight sessions (60 minutes each, once weekly). Data were analyzed using the Windows SPSS 22.0 program. RESULTS: Laughter therapy was effective in reducing fatigue (p=.019) and increasing satisfaction of sleep (p=.030). There were no differences between the groups after therapy for depression (p=.129) and anxiety (p=.200). CONCLUSION: Results of this study indicate that laughter therapy may be an effective nursing intervention for improving the health status of gastrointestinal cancer survivors after chemotherapy.
Anxiety ; Depression ; Drug Therapy ; Fatigue ; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms ; Humans ; Laughter Therapy ; Laughter ; Nursing ; Survivors

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of the laughter therapy program on perceived stress and psycho-neuro-endocrine-immune responses in obese women. METHODS: A nonequivalent control group with a pretest-posttest design was used. The participants (n=60), whose age ranged from 30 to 50 years (pre-menopausal and body mass index of over 25 kg/m2), were assigned to the experimental group (n=24) or control group (n=26). The experimental group was provided with the laughter therapy program (12 sessions) for 6 weeks. RESULTS: There were significant differences in perceived stress, psychological stress response, fasting blood sugar, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor alpha between the two groups after the program. However, there were no significant differences in normalized low frequency (norm LF), normalized high frequency (norm HF), LF/HF ratio, and cortisol between the two groups after the program. CONCLUSION: It was found that the laughter therapy program had positive effects on some variables in terms of perceived stress and psycho-neuro-endocrine-immuno responses. It is suggested that the laughter therapy in this study can provide the direction for developing a program for obese women.
Blood Glucose ; Body Mass Index ; Fasting ; Female ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone ; Interleukin-6 ; Laughter Therapy* ; Laughter* ; Obesity ; Stress, Physiological ; Stress, Psychological ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the effect of subjective xerostomia and salivary pH in salivary glands stimulated by laughter therapy in frail elderly women. METHODS: The research used a one-group pretest-posttest design. Data were collected from July 2, 2015 to September 30, 2015. A sample of 41 frail female elderly patients was recruited at A Nursing Home in K City, Korea. We measured xerostomia and salivary pH using a questionnaire and BCP test paper (pH 5.6~7.2). Laughter therapy was given once a week for four weeks (3 items). Data were analyzed through descriptive statistics, independent t-test, ANOVA, paired t-test and Cronbach's using the SPSS 18.0 program. RESULTS: There were significant differences in salivary pH according to oral health (t=-2.06, p<.05). There were significant differences in xerostomia (t=4.41, p<.001) and salivary pH (t=-7.94, p<.001) after salivary glands stimulated by laughter therapy. CONCLUSION: Salivary glands stimulated by laughter therapy improved xerostomia and salivary pH of the frail elderly. Therefore, salivary glands stimulated by laughter therapy may be useful in promoting and maintaining oral health among the frail elderly in the rapidly increasing population of old people.
Aged ; Female ; Frail Elderly* ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration* ; Korea ; Laughter Therapy* ; Laughter* ; Nursing Homes ; Oral Health ; Salivary Glands* ; Xerostomia*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of laughter therapy on arthralgia, ankylosis, depression and sleep of elderly housebound women suffering from osteoarthritis. METHODS: The study used a nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design. The participants were 48 elderly women: 23 in the experimental group and 25 in the control group. The experimental group received laughter therapy twice a week for 4 weeks. The results were analyzed by using chi2-test, ANCOVA, and t-test with the SPSS/WIN 21.0 program. RESULTS: The results showed that laughter therapy had a significant statistical effective in reducing arthralgia, ankylosis, and depression and improving the quality of sleep as evidenced by the differences between the two groups. CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicated that laughter therapy is an effective nursing intervention reducing arthralgia, ankylosis, and depression and improving the quality of sleep in these women. Therefore, it is necessary to develop laughter therapy as an independent nursing intervention for elderly women with osteoarthritis who are housebound.
Aged* ; Ankylosis* ; Arthralgia* ; Depression* ; Female ; Humans ; Laughter Therapy* ; Laughter* ; Nursing ; Osteoarthritis*

PURPOSE: This study was done to examine how laughter therapy impacts serotonin levels, QOL and depression in middle-aged women and to perform a path analysis for verification of the effects. METHODS: A quasi-experimental study employing a nonequivalent control group and pre-post design was conducted. Participants were 64 middle-aged women (control=14 and experimental=50 in 3 groups according to level of depression). The intervention was conducted five times a week for a period of 2 weeks and the data analysis was conducted using repeated measures ANOVA, ANCOVA and LISREL. RESULTS: Results showed that pre serotonin and QOL in women with severe depression were the lowest. Serotonin in the experimental groups increased after the 10th intervention (p=.006) and the rise was the highest in the group with severe depression (p=.001). Depression in all groups decreased after the 5th intervention (p=.022) and the biggest decline was observed in group with severe depression (p=.007). QOL of the moderate and severe groups increased after the 10th intervention (p=.049), and the increase rate was highest in group with severe depression (p<.006). Path analysis revealed that laughter therapy did not directly affect depression, but its effect was indirectly meditated through serotonin variation (p<.001). CONCLUSION: Results indicate that serotonin activation through laughter therapy can help middle-aged women by lessening depression and providing important grounds for depression control.
Adult ; Depression/pathology/*therapy ; Female ; Humans ; *Laughter Therapy ; Middle Aged ; *Quality of Life ; Serotonin/*blood ; Severity of Illness Index ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: The study was a non-equivalent control group, quasi-experimental study to find out the effect of the laughter therapy on anxiety and depression of burn patients. METHODS: Study subjects were 60 hospitalized patients with the diagnosis of 2nd degree burn (30 experimental group; 30 control group). Experimental group received laughter therapy by the certificated therapist. STAI questionnaire, blood pressure and pulse were checked before and after the laughter therapy. RESULTS: Before and after the laughter implementation, the experimental group's anxiety decreased, however, the comparison group's anxiety did not show significant difference. Moreover, experimental group's anxiety decreased after the implementation. Experimental group's systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure did not decrease pre/post laughter therapy mediator. The comparison group showed that systolic blood pressure increased, and diastolic blood pressure did not show significant difference. Also, experimental group's systolic blood pressure and diastolic pressure did not show significant difference after the treatment. Pre/post laughter therapy mediation did not decrease the experimental group's pulse and comparison group's pulse. Furthermore, the experimental group's pulse did not show the significant difference after the treatment. In pre/post laughter therapy mediation, the experimental group's depression was decreased, however, the comparison did not how significance difference in pre/post depression score after the treatment. Moreover, the experimental group's depression was decreased after the treatment. CONCLUSION: According the results above, the laughter therapy had effect on decreasing anxiety and depression of the burn patients and it is efficient mediator for the burn patient. Repetitive research was needed to investigate the effect of laughter on cardiovascular system since it did not have decreasing effect on the blood pressure and pulse.
Anxiety* ; Blood Pressure ; Burns* ; Cardiovascular System ; Depression* ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Laughter ; Laughter Therapy* ; Negotiating ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Acupuncture Therapy ; Adult ; Aged ; Bloodletting ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Crying ; Female ; Humans ; Laughter ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Stroke ; psychology ; therapy ; Treatment Outcome

This study was attempted to explore the effect of laughter therapy on Hansen people's Interpersonal Relations, certify the effect, and use that as a useful means to improve Hansen people's interpersonal ability. The research method, Hansen people receiving outpatient and admission medical examination and treatment at the research institute of Korea Hansen Welfare Association located in Euiwang-si, Gyeonggi-do, and Hansen People residing at Razaro Village, and divided 60 people approving participation at research into 30 as an experimental group and 30 as a control group, and conducted a questionnaire survey. The sex was distributed to 30 males, and 30 females, and this study conducted a laughter therapy to 30 of the experimental group over 8 times in total by 60 minutes for 2 weeks, and for the collected data, analyzed changes to interpersonal relations revealed before and after conducting the laughter therapy program using IBM/SPSS 20.0 program. The major findings of this study are as follows. Verification of effects of a laughter therapy on Hansen people' interpersonal relations indicated that the interpersonal scores of the experimental group statistically came out high, so the laughter therapy is effective in improving Hansen people' interpersonal relations. {Pre-test (M = 3.21) and post-test (M = 3.79) of the results showed a statistically significant difference (p<.001)}. It clarified that the laughter therapy is effective improving males' and females' interpersonal relations, where it has a higher effect on female Hansen people than male people. {(males : pretest (M = 2.93) and post-test (M = 3.48), females : pre-test (M = 3.45) and post-test (M = 4.07}
Academies and Institutes ; Female ; Gyeonggi-do ; Humans ; Interpersonal Relations* ; Korea ; Laughter Therapy* ; Laughter* ; Leprosy* ; Male ; Outpatients ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore the health-illness transition of patients with Young-Onset Parkinson's Disease (YOPD). METHODS: From June to November 2011, 17 patients with YOPD who visited a neurologic clinic in a tertiary hospital participated in the study. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and analyzed using the grounded theory of Strauss and Corbin. RESULTS: The core category of the participants' health-illness transition emerged as 'reshaping identity following uncontrollable changes'. The participants' health-illness transition process consisted of six phases in sequence: ego withdrawal, loss of role, frustration, change of thought, modification of life tract, and second life. Although most participants proceeded through the six phases chronologically, some returned to the frustration phase and then took up the remaining phases. CONCLUSION: The study results provide an in-depth understanding of health-illness transition experiences in the participants. These findings suggest a need to develop appropriate nursing intervention strategies according to the different phases in the health-illness transition of patients with YOPD.
*Adaptation, Physiological ; Adult ; Age of Onset ; Female ; Humans ; Interviews as Topic ; Laughter Therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Parkinson Disease/*psychology ; Patient Acceptance of Health Care ; Self Concept ; Social Isolation

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of visiting laughter therapy on depression and insomnia in the vulnerable elderly. METHODS: A quasi-experimental nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design was used for this study. The participants were 87 elderly who were registered in the Tailored Visiting Health Program of public health centers. Data were collected from September to November 2010. The experimental group received visiting laughter therapy froma visiting nurse who had taken laughter training provided by laughter therapy experts. The experimental group received 10~15 min of laughter therapy once a week for 8 weeks. The instruments included Geriatric Depression Scale and Insomnia Severity Index to measure depression and sleep problems before and after the laughter therapy. RESULTS: The results showed that visiting laughter therapy was effective in decreasing depression and insomnia among the vulnerable elderly. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that laughter therapy may be an effective nursing intervention to improve depression and insomnia Further studies would be needed to identify the difference of effects according to time, interval, or period of visiting laughter therapy and to evaluate the lasting effect of visiting laughter therapy.
Aged ; Community Health Nursing ; Depression ; Humans ; Laughter ; Laughter Therapy ; Public Health ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders