Burnout, General Health, Occupational Stress, Perceived Stress, Psychiatric Nursing
Conditions
Keywords
Laughter Yoga, Maslach Burnout Inventory, PSS-10, GHQ-28, Psychiatric Nurses, Nursing Interventions, Mental Health Promotion, Complementary Therapies, Burnout Prevention, Stress Reduction, Workplace Wellness
Brief summary
This study aims to examine the effects of laughter yoga on general health, perceived stress, and burnout among psychiatric nurses. Nurses working in psychiatric units are often exposed to high levels of occupational stress, which may impact their well-being and job performance. This trial was designed to evaluate the potential benefits of laughter yoga as a supportive intervention in this context.
Detailed description
Psychiatric nurses frequently face emotionally intense situations, aggressive patient behaviors, and heavy workloads. These factors are known to contribute to elevated stress levels and burnout. This study was conducted as a randomized controlled trial at a psychiatric hospital located on the Anatolian side of Istanbul, Türkiye. A total of 70 psychiatric nurses voluntarily participated and were randomly assigned to either an experimental group or a control group (n=35 per group). The experimental group received an eight-session laughter yoga program, with each session lasting approximately 30 minutes. Sessions were held face-to-face in small groups and facilitated by a trained laughter yoga instructor. Each session included four components: warm-up and clapping exercises, deep breathing, childlike playfulness, and structured laughter activities. The control group received no intervention during the study period. Data were collected before and after the intervention using the following validated tools: Nurse Demographic Information Form Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) The study was approved by the relevant ethics committee, and all participants provided informed consent prior to enrollment.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALLaughter Yoga
Laughter yoga intervention including clapping, breathing, childlike play, and laughter exercises, delivered in 8 sessions over 4 weeks to reduce stress and burnout and improve general health among psychiatric nurses.
Sponsors
Bezmialem Vakif University
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH
Masking
NONE
Masking description
This is an open-label study. No parties were masked during the intervention or outcome assessment.
Intervention model description
Participants were randomly assigned to two parallel groups: an experimental group receiving a structured laughter yoga program, and a control group receiving no intervention during the study period.
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 65 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Being a psychiatric nurse at the specified hospital * Volunteering to participate * Not receiving psychiatric treatment currently
Exclusion criteria
* Chronic physical illnesses that could interfere * Inability to attend all sessions
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) Total Score | Baseline and after 4 weeks (post-intervention) | The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) is used to assess burnout levels among psychiatric nurses. Scores range from low to high burnout. A decrease in score indicates reduced burnout. The scale has three subscales: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment. |
| Change in Perceived Stress Level (PSS-10 Total Score) | Baseline and Week 4 (post-intervention) | Perceived stress is measured using the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10). Total scores range from 0 to 40, with higher scores indicating greater perceived stress. A decrease in score reflects improvement. |
| Change in General Health Status (GHQ-28 Total Score) | Baseline and Week 4 (post-intervention) | General health is evaluated using the General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28), which includes somatic symptoms, anxiety/insomnia, social dysfunction, and severe depression subscales. Total scores range from 0 to 28, with lower scores indicating better general health status. |
Countries
Turkey (Türkiye)
Outcome results
None listed