Effect of laughter therapy on psychological well-being, life satisfaction and mental health of the elderly living in a nursing home

Introduction: The aging period is a stage in which individuals experience physical and psychological changes, and factors such as social isolation, loss of independence, and chronic diseases can negatively affect life satisfaction and well-being, along with depression, anxiety, and stress. Therefore, it is important to identify and implement approaches that support the mental health of elderly individuals. Objective: This study aims to examine the effects of laughter therapy on the psychological well-being, life satisfaction, and mental health of elderly individuals living in nursing homes. Method: This study was designed as a pre-test– post-test randomized controlled experimental study with a control group. The sample of the study consisted of elderly individuals aged 65 and above who were able to communicate, scored ≥18 points on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and had never participated in laughter therapy before, residing in a nursing home affiliated with a private foundation in Istanbul between April 2024 and June 2024 (N=70). Participants were randomly assigned into two groups using a computer-assisted simple randomization method: the experimental group (n=35) and the control group (n=35). The experimental group received laughter therapy twice a week, with each session lasting 45 minutes, for a total of 12 sessions. The control group did not receive any intervention and continued with the standard nursing home care protocol. The research data were collected using the "Descriptive Information Form" (during the initial interview), the "Psychological Well-Being Scale for the Elderly (PWBES)," the "Life Satisfaction Scale for the Elderly (LSES)," and the "Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21)" before the therapy, after the therapy, and one month after the completion of the therapy. Descriptive statistical methods, Chi-square, independent samples t-test, repeated measures ANOVA, and Bonferroni tests were used to analyze the data. Results: There was no statistically significant difference between the descriptive characteristics of the participants in the experimental and control groups and their pre-test scores on PWBES, LSES and DASS-21 (p>0.05). However, a statistically significant difference was found between the experimental and control groups in the post-test and follow-up scores (p<0.05). Conclusion: It was determined that laughter therapy had a significant positive effect on the psychological well- being, life satisfaction, and mental health of elderly individuals living in nursing homes. Moreover, the follow-up tests conducted one month later showed that this effect largely persisted.