Laughter Therapy: A Boost for Emotional Well-Being

Rapid Summary

• Laughter therapy, including techniques like laughter yoga and clown visits, has been associated with reduced anxiety and improved life satisfaction.
• Laughter is believed to enhance social connections and benefit overall health; it may also help children recover faster in hospitals.
• A meta-analysis of 33 studies involving participants such as nursing students, end-of-life care patients, surgery participants, individuals undergoing IVF treatment, and those with depression or burnout indicated positive changes due to laughter therapy.
• results showed decreased anxiety by 8-10 points on a scale of 0-100 post-laughter therapy compared to control groups. Life satisfaction scores were also approximately 10-12 points higher in the therapy groups.
• Physiological impacts of laughter include decreased cortisol levels (associated with stress) and increased endorphin production (linked to well-being).
• Researchers noted that the placebo effect might influence outcomes as participants were aware they were receiving laughter-based interventions.

Image Caption: People letting off steam at a laughter yoga session in Kolkata, India. Credit: SOPA Images Limited/Alamy.

campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utmsource=NSNS&utmmedium=RSS&utmcontent=home”>Read More