The Effect of Laughter Therapy on Life Satisfaction and Loneliness

NCT ID: NCT03687788

Last Updated: 2018-09-27

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 62 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2018-02-26
• Study Completion Date: 2018-04-06

Brief Summary

Life satisfaction and loneliness are two important issues affecting the quality of life of the elderly. Older adults living in nursing homes experience the feeling of loneliness more and their life satisfaction decreases. For this reason, there is a need for an intervention that could increase the life satisfaction of the older adults and decrease their loneliness.

The aim of the research was to examine the effects of laughter therapy on life satisfaction and loneliness in older adults living in a nursing home.

Detailed Description

A single-blinded, parallel group randomized controlled trial was used to evaluate the impact of laughter therapy on life satisfaction and loneliness in older adults living in a nursing home.

The study was conducted in the only nursing home in Hatay province of Turkey.

The study participants were older adults living in a nursing home. A total of 62 older adults formed the experimental group (n = 31) and the control group (n = 31).

In order to ensure randomization and equal gender distribution, first, two groups (men and women) were formed. After the stratification process, five blocks consisting of six people and one group consisting of four people were formed using the permuted blocked randomization method. After the formation of the blocks, the elderly were randomly assigned to the experimental and the control group using a random number table. The experimental group received laughter therapy twice a week for 6 weeks and the usual care. The control group received only the usual care. To collect data, a personal information form, the De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale (DJGLS) and the Life Satisfaction Scale (LSS) were used.

Conditions

Older Adults

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: SUPPORTIVE_CARE
• Blinding Strategy: SINGLE

Study Groups

Intervention Group

Intervention group received laughter therapy twice a week for six weeks.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Laughter Therapy

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Laughter therapy program was composed of four steps. The first step, which took 10 minutes, had warm-up exercises including gentle stretching and hand clapping. The second step, which included deep breathing exercises and hand clapping, took 5 minutes. The third step involved children's games and laughter exercises. In this step, the most common laughter exercises were milkshake laughter, bugi bugi laughter techniques, lion laughter, cell phone, hot soup laughter, hug laughter, bird laughter, dialogue with nonsense, speech exercises, laugh at one's own aches and pains exercises, argument laughter, brushing teeth and mouthwash exercises. The sessions included a combination of different laughter exercises. This step took 15 minutes. The last step, which included wishes and resting by breathing, took 10 minutes.

Control Group

The control group did not take part in the laughter therapy program. This group received the routine care given by the nurses in the center.

Group Type: NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

Laughter Therapy

Laughter therapy program was composed of four steps. The first step, which took 10 minutes, had warm-up exercises including gentle stretching and hand clapping. The second step, which included deep breathing exercises and hand clapping, took 5 minutes. The third step involved children's games and laughter exercises. In this step, the most common laughter exercises were milkshake laughter, bugi bugi laughter techniques, lion laughter, cell phone, hot soup laughter, hug laughter, bird laughter, dialogue with nonsense, speech exercises, laugh at one's own aches and pains exercises, argument laughter, brushing teeth and mouthwash exercises. The sessions included a combination of different laughter exercises. This step took 15 minutes. The last step, which included wishes and resting by breathing, took 10 minutes.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• participants had to be 65 or older and be able to maintain independence in daily activities.

Exclusion Criteria

• having severe hearing or perceptual deficits that impaired communication; having dementia, Alzheimer's disease, depression, uncontrolled diabetes, hypertensive disease and surgical operations with the risk of bleeding.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 65 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Selcuk University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Pinar Zorba Bahceli

Asistant Professor

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Locations

Selcuk University Health Science Faculty

Konya, Selcuklu, Turkey (Türkiye)

Countries

Turkey (Türkiye)

References

Kuru Alici N, Zorba Bahceli P. Effects of Laughter Therapy on Life Satisfaction and Loneliness in Older Adults Living in Nursing Homes in Turkey: A Parallel Group Randomized Controlled Trial. Rehabil Nurs. 2021 Mar-Apr 01;46(2):104-112. doi: 10.1097/RNJ.0000000000000266.

Reference Type: DERIVED

PMID: 33646727 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

2017/185

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id