The Effects of Laughter Therapy on Anxiety and Depression of Burn Patients

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The study was a non-equivalent control group, quasi-experimental study to find out the effect of the laughter therapy on anxiety and depression of burn patients. METHODS: Study subjects were 60 hospitalized patients with the diagnosis of 2nd degree burn (30 experimental group; 30 control group). Experimental group received laughter therapy by the certificated therapist. STAI questionnaire, blood pressure and pulse were checked before and after the laughter therapy. RESULTS: Before and after the laughter implementation, the experimental group's anxiety decreased, however, the comparison group's anxiety did not show significant difference. Moreover, experimental group's anxiety decreased after the implementation. Experimental group's systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure did not decrease pre/post laughter therapy mediator. The comparison group showed that systolic blood pressure increased, and diastolic blood pressure did not show significant difference. Also, experimental group's systolic blood pressure and diastolic pressure did not show significant difference after the treatment. Pre/post laughter therapy mediation did not decrease the experimental group's pulse and comparison group's pulse. Furthermore, the experimental group's pulse did not show the significant difference after the treatment. In pre/post laughter therapy mediation, the experimental group's depression was decreased, however, the comparison did not how significance difference in pre/post depression score after the treatment. Moreover, the experimental group's depression was decreased after the treatment. CONCLUSION: According the results above, the laughter therapy had effect on decreasing anxiety and depression of the burn patients and it is efficient mediator for the burn patient. Repetitive research was needed to investigate the effect of laughter on cardiovascular system since it did not have decreasing effect on the blood pressure and pulse.