Effects of laughter therapy on depression, cognition and sleep among the community‐dwelling elderly

Ko, Hae-Jin; Youn, Chang-Ho

doi:10.1111/j.1447-0594.2010.00680.x

Cited by 117 publications

(128 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…According to the American Association for Therapeutic Humor (AATH), laughter therapy refers to an activity that improves a patient's health and welfare using interesting experiences and expressions. Therefore, laughter therapy can be a series of cognitive-behavioral therapies that helps make physical, psychological, and social relationships healthy and ultimately improves the quality of life (Ko and Youn 2011). It has taken a very long time for laughter to become a recognized medical therapy.…”

Section: Laughter Therapymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…400, when Hippocrates first recorded and described it. 'Depression', typically used synonymously with 'melancholia', first began to be used when Bleuler (1911) described it, and that overall depression includes phenomena such as kinetic phenomena occurring as a result of all mental actions, such as mind, mood, and consciousness that feels depression, excitement, and satisfaction, or, more loosely, it refers to the element that occurs to the mind trying to accomplish something and is forcibly oppressed (Ko and Youn 2011).…”

Section: Laughter and Depressionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Depression, secondary to loneliness and physical discomfort due to aging, is a most important emotional problem in old age and requires social attention and positive intervention. In addition to depression, another remarkable change in the mental function of the elderly is the loss of intellectual ability (Takeda et al 2010;Ko and Youn 2011). This disorder of cognitive function can put a high burden on a person, their family, and society as a whole.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Laughter therapy in the media has grown and many researchers have conducted a variety of studies on laughter (Cho and Oh 2011). Moreover, as laughter therapy does not require specialized preparations such as suitable facilities and equipment, is not prohibited by cost, does not depend on when or where it happens, and is easily accessible and acceptable, the medical world has also introduced it into treatment programs (Mora-Ripoll 2010; Ko and Youn 2011). Laughter therapy physiologically reduces the level of stress hormones, increases the level of health promoting-hormones such as endorphins, and strengthens the immune system by increasing the number of T-lymphocytes through activation of natural killer cells, which multiplies white blood cells in the body, and Ig A, G, and M, which raises immunity in the body (Bennett and Lengacher 2006;Hayashi et al 2007;Bennett and Lengacher 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition, it also has an effect of reducing blood pressure by controlling vasoconstriction by lowering the degradation of the vasorelaxant substance, nitric oxide, and reducing cortisol thus raising blood sugar (Bennett and Lengacher 2008;Hasan and Hasan 2009). As for the mental effects of the laughter therapy, it helps reduce unpleasant feelings such as tension, anxiety, hatred, and anger, alleviates stress and depression, aids better interpersonal relationships, and improves insomnia, memory failure, and dementia (Takeda et al 2010;Ko and Youn 2011;Bains et al 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Therapeutic Benefits of Laughter in Mental Health: A Theoretical Review

Yim

2016

Tohoku J. Exp. Med.

119

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In modern society, fierce competition and socioeconomic interaction stress the quality of life, causing a negative influence on a person's mental health. Laughter is a positive sensation, and seems to be a useful and healthy way to overcome stress. Laughter therapy is a kind of cognitive-behavioral therapies that could make physical, psychological, and social relationships healthy, ultimately improving the quality of life. Laughter therapy, as a non-pharmacological, alternative treatment, has a positive effect on the mental health and the immune system. In addition, laughter therapy does not require specialized preparations, such as suitable facilities and equipment, and it is easily accessible and acceptable. For these reasons, the medical community has taken notice and attempted to include laughter therapy to more traditional therapies. Decreasing stress-making hormones found in the blood, laughter can mitigate the effects of stress. Laughter decreases serum levels of cortisol, epinephrine, growth hormone, and 3,4-dihydrophenylacetic acid (a major dopamine catabolite), indicating a reversal of the stress response. Depression is a disease, where neurotransmitters in the brain, such as norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin, are reduced, and there is something wrong in the mood control circuit of the brain. Laughter can alter dopamine and serotonin activity. Furthermore, endorphins secreted by laughter can help when people are uncomfortable or in a depressed mood. Laughter therapy is a noninvasive and non-pharmacological alternative treatment for stress and depression, representative cases that have a negative influence on mental health. In conclusion, laughter therapy is effective and scientifically supported as a single or adjuvant therapy.

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Section: Laughter Therapymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Laughter and Depressionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Therapeutic Benefits of Laughter in Mental Health: A Theoretical Review

Yim

2016

Tohoku J. Exp. Med.

119

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The impact of humor therapy on people suffering from depression or anxiety: An integrative literature review

et al. 2023

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ObjectivesTo identify and synthesize existing research on the effectiveness and feasibility of multiform humor therapy on people suffering from depression or anxiety, with the hope of benefiting future research.MethodsAn integrative literature review of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed studies was performed. The PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Embase, and CINAHL databases were searched up to March 2022. Two independent reviewers conducted each stage of the review process, by assessing eligibility using preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta‐analyses (PRISMA) and quality appraisal using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool, and data extraction.ResultsIn this integrative review, 29 papers were included, containing 2964 participants across a diverse range of studies, including quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods. The articles were from the United States, Australia, Italy, Turkey, South Korea, Iran, Israel, China, and Germany. The findings indicated that most of the subjects thought humor therapy was effective in improving depression and anxiety while a few participants considered the effect insignificant. However, more high‐quality studies will be needed to confirm these conclusions.DiscussionThis review collated and summarized findings from studies examining the impact of humor therapy (medical clowns, laughter therapy/yoga) on people with depression or anxiety, including children undergoing surgery or anesthesia, older people in nursing homes, patients with Parkinson's disease, cancer, mental illness, and undergoing dialysis, retired women, and college students. The results from this review may help inform future research, policy, and practice in humor therapy to improve people's symptoms of depression and anxiety.ImpactThis systematic review objectively evaluated the effect of humor therapy on depression and anxiety. As a simple and feasible complementary alternative therapy, humor therapy may provide a favorable alternative for clinicians, nurses, and patients in the future.

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Beneficial effect of laughter therapy on physiological and psychological function in elders

et al. 2018

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AimIn the present study we investigated the effect of laughter therapy on physiological and psychological function in older people.DesignAn open‐label trial.MethodsSeventeen older people who regularly attended an elderly day care centre were recruited. Stand‐up comedy as laughter therapy was performed once a week for 4 weeks. Parameters of physiological and psychological function were evaluated before and after laughter therapy.ResultsLaughter therapy intervention resulted in a significant reduction in systolic blood pressure and heart rate, accompanied by a significant increase in plasma concentration of serotonin and a significant decrease in salivary concentration of chromogranin A. Questionnaire surveys of SF‐8, GDS‐15, and Vitality Index demonstrated alleviation of depression and improvement of sociability and activity in older people. Laughter therapy could be expected to become a practical treatment to improve quality of life of older people in an elderly day care centre.

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Effects of laughter therapy on depression, cognition and sleep among the community‐dwelling elderly

Abstract: Laughter therapy is considered to be useful, cost-effective and easily-accessible intervention that has positive effects on depression, insomnia, and sleep quality in the elderly.

Cited by 117 publications

References 24 publications

Therapeutic Benefits of Laughter in Mental Health: A Theoretical Review

Therapeutic Benefits of Laughter in Mental Health: A Theoretical Review

The impact of humor therapy on people suffering from depression or anxiety: An integrative literature review

Beneficial effect of laughter therapy on physiological and psychological function in elders

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