Journal List > J Korean Acad Psychiatr Ment Health Nurs > v.22(4) > 1057992

Ko and Hyun: Effects of Laughter Therapy on Pain, Depression, and Quality of Life of Elderly People with Osteoarthritis

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a laughter therapy on pain, depression, and quality of life of elderly people with osteoarthritis.

Methods

A quasi-experimental, nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design was used. Participants (n=60) included older adults who were diagnosed with osteoarthritis and received treatment at the out patient departments of two different hospitals. Data were collected from March 9 to 30, 2011. Experimental group (n=30) participated in laughter therapy four times, once a week for 50 min per session. Questionnaires were used to measure pretest and posttest levels of pain, depression, and quality of life.

Results

At the end of four-week intervention, pain (F=11.32, p=.001) and depression (F=10.77, p=.002) were significantly decreased in the experimental group. Quality of life (F=6.28, p=.015) were significantly improve in the experimental group.

Conclusion

The study results suggest that the laughter therapy is an effective intervention to reduce the pain and depression, and to improve quality of life. It seems that this program can widely be utilized as one of nursing intervention programs for the elderly people with osteoarthritis.

Figures and Tables

Table 1
Homogeneity Test of General Characteristics of Subjects (N=60)
jkapmhn-22-359-i001

Exp.=experimental group; Cont.=control group.

Fisher's exact probability test.

Table 2
Homogeneity Test of Dependent Variables between Experimental and Control Group (N=60)
jkapmhn-22-359-i002

Exp.=experimental group; Cont.=control group.

Table 3
Comparison of Pain, Depression and Quality of Life between Experimental and Control Group (N=60)
jkapmhn-22-359-i003

Exp.=experimental group; Cont.=control group.

F-value of ANCOVA with pre-test value as covariate.

Notes

This article is based on a part of the first author's master's thesis from Jeju National University.

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