The Effect of Cognitive and Laughter Therapy on Psychological Symptoms in Nursing Students

NCT ID: NCT06344624

Last Updated: 2024-06-13

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

114 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2024-04-10

Study Completion Date

2024-06-12

Brief Summary

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The presence of high mental symptoms among nursing students in Turkey highlights the need to develop various support strategies in nursing education to preserve and ensure the continuity of the nursing workforce. This study aims to compare the effects of brief cognitive-behavioral group psychotherapy and laughter yoga on mental symptoms in nursing students with mental symptoms.

Detailed Description

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A randomized controlled trial with a pretest-posttest design is planned to be conducted among 114 nursing students with mental symptoms between April and June 2024. The block randomization method will be used to assign students to the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Group and the Laughter Group. Brief cognitive behavioral therapy (b-CBT) will be applied to one group, and laughter yoga will be applied to the other group twice a week for 3 weeks, with sessions lasting 60 minutes each. Data will be collected through the Brief Symptom Inventory, Psychological Resilience Scale, and Automatic Thoughts Scale. Measurements will be done at baseline, right after the sixth session ends, and four weeks later.

During the b-CBT process, techniques such as breath-body awareness and self-identification, coping techniques for emotional and physical symptoms of depression, recognizing the interaction between thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, cognitive restructuring to replace dysfunctional thoughts and internal dialogues with functional ones, and future planning will be employed. Laughter yoga will consist of four parts: deep breathing exercises, warm-up exercises, playful activities, and laughter exercises.

The results obtained from the research will provide an opportunity to identify methods that may be effective in helping nurses acquire the necessary skills to improve their mental health.

Conditions

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Mental Health Issue

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

A randomized controlled trial with a pretest-posttest design
Primary Study Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Blinding Strategy

DOUBLE

Participants Outcome Assessors
Using the block randomization technique, the sampled students will be split into two groups: the CBT group and the laughter group. Six will be the block size. Excel will be used to create blocks (allocation concealment) and random numbers will be generated by an assistant researcher who does not attend therapy sessions. The purpose of the program is to support mental health and evaluate its effectiveness; students will not be informed about which group they are in (participant blinding).

Research data will be coded as A and B and entered into the computer database by someone other than the researchers conducting the therapy sessions, and statistical analysis will be performed using this coding (statistician blinding).

Study Groups

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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Group

In the first sessions, less time was allotted to the introductory phase because it was anticipated that students would face similar issues in terms of age, gender, and academic standing, and that their depressive symptoms would be milder than those of clinical patient groups. Additionally, more intensive short-term cognitive behavioral therapy (b-CBT) was preferred. Six sessions, two per week for three weeks, lasting sixty minutes each, were planned, with four groups of eight to twelve students based on course schedules. A researcher with a doctorate in mental health nursing and certification in CBT will oversee CBT. The program aims to enhance students' mindful awareness. Key CBT techniques will include breath-body awareness, coping methods for emotional and physical depression symptoms (breathing and attention exercises), recognizing thought-emotion-behavior interactions, cognitive restructuring, and future planning.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

CBT group

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Brief cognitive behavioral therapy

Laughter Yoga Therapy Group

There will be a certified researcher leading the laughter yoga sessions. Laughter yoga will ideally allow participants to sit comfortably in front of each other's eyes. Six sessions, two per week for three weeks, lasting sixty minutes each, were planned, with four groups of eight to twelve students based on course schedules. Laughter yoga consists of four parts: deep breathing exercises, warm-up exercises, playful activities, and laughter exercises.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Laughter group

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Laughter yoga therapy

Interventions

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CBT group

Brief cognitive behavioral therapy

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Laughter group

Laughter yoga therapy

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

Currently enrolled in the nursing faculty between April 10, 2024, and June 2, 2024.

* Scored within the top 20% on the Brief Symptom Inventory for mental symptom scores.
* Voluntarily agree to participate in the study and have signed the Informed Consent Form.
* Understand and comprehend Turkish language

Exclusion Criteria

* Having received cognitive behavioral therapy previously.
* Undergoing psychological or psychiatric treatment.
* Underwent surgical procedures in the last three months.
* Having chronic illnesses requiring regular medication use.
* Having glaucoma or hernia conditions.
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

45 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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Mersin University

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Emine ÖNCÜ

Assoc.Prof

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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EMİNE ÖNCÜ

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Mersin University

Locations

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Turkey, Mersin University

Mersin, , Turkey (Türkiye)

Site Status

Countries

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Turkey (Türkiye)

Other Identifiers

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Mersin_U

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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