The Effect of Cognitive and Laughter Therapy on Psychological Symptoms in Nursing Students

Mersin University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Mental Health Issue

Treatments: Behavioral: CBT group; Behavioral: Laughter group

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06344624

Mersin_U

Details and patient eligibility

About

The presence of high mental symptoms among nursing students in Turkey highlights the need to develop various support strategies in nursing education to preserve and ensure the continuity of the nursing workforce. This study aims to compare the effects of brief cognitive-behavioral group psychotherapy and laughter yoga on mental symptoms in nursing students with mental symptoms.

Full description

A randomized controlled trial with a pretest-posttest design is planned to be conducted among 114 nursing students with mental symptoms between April and June 2024. The block randomization method will be used to assign students to the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Group and the Laughter Group. Brief cognitive behavioral therapy (b-CBT) will be applied to one group, and laughter yoga will be applied to the other group twice a week for 3 weeks, with sessions lasting 60 minutes each. Data will be collected through the Brief Symptom Inventory, Psychological Resilience Scale, and Automatic Thoughts Scale. Measurements will be done at baseline, right after the sixth session ends, and four weeks later.

During the b-CBT process, techniques such as breath-body awareness and self-identification, coping techniques for emotional and physical symptoms of depression, recognizing the interaction between thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, cognitive restructuring to replace dysfunctional thoughts and internal dialogues with functional ones, and future planning will be employed. Laughter yoga will consist of four parts: deep breathing exercises, warm-up exercises, playful activities, and laughter exercises.

The results obtained from the research will provide an opportunity to identify methods that may be effective in helping nurses acquire the necessary skills to improve their mental health.

Enrollment: 114 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 45 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Currently enrolled in the nursing faculty between April 10, 2024, and June 2, 2024.

• Scored within the top 20% on the Brief Symptom Inventory for mental symptom scores.
• Voluntarily agree to participate in the study and have signed the Informed Consent Form.
• Understand and comprehend Turkish language

Exclusion criteria

• Having received cognitive behavioral therapy previously.
• Undergoing psychological or psychiatric treatment.
• Underwent surgical procedures in the last three months.
• Having chronic illnesses requiring regular medication use.
• Having glaucoma or hernia conditions.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Supportive Care

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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114 participants in 2 patient groups

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Group

Active Comparator group

Description:

In the first sessions, less time was allotted to the introductory phase because it was anticipated that students would face similar issues in terms of age, gender, and academic standing, and that their depressive symptoms would be milder than those of clinical patient groups. Additionally, more intensive short-term cognitive behavioral therapy (b-CBT) was preferred. Six sessions, two per week for three weeks, lasting sixty minutes each, were planned, with four groups of eight to twelve students based on course schedules. A researcher with a doctorate in mental health nursing and certification in CBT will oversee CBT. The program aims to enhance students' mindful awareness. Key CBT techniques will include breath-body awareness, coping methods for emotional and physical depression symptoms (breathing and attention exercises), recognizing thought-emotion-behavior interactions, cognitive restructuring, and future planning.

Treatment:

Behavioral: CBT group

Laughter Yoga Therapy Group

Active Comparator group

Description:

There will be a certified researcher leading the laughter yoga sessions. Laughter yoga will ideally allow participants to sit comfortably in front of each other's eyes. Six sessions, two per week for three weeks, lasting sixty minutes each, were planned, with four groups of eight to twelve students based on course schedules. Laughter yoga consists of four parts: deep breathing exercises, warm-up exercises, playful activities, and laughter exercises.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Laughter group