The effect of laughter yoga applied before simulation training on state anxiety, perceived stress levels, self-confidence and satisfaction in undergraduate nursing students: A pragmatic randomized controlled trial

Mental Health of Nursing Students: A Bibliometric Review Based on CiteSpace Visual Analysis

Background: The mental health of nursing students directly affects their future performance, quality of patient care, and personal development. Therefore, an in-depth understanding of research in this area can assist in implementing effective measures to improve the mental health of nursing students. Aim: This study used bibliometric analyses to identify and analyze articles, authors, journals, and research institutes investigating nursing students' mental health in terms of thematic structure and topic evolution, aiming to provide direction and guidance for future research. Methods: In this retrospective bibliometric analysis, data were downloaded from the Web of Science Core Collection on August 15, 2024. Subsequently, CiteSpace software was employed to analyze the annual number of publications and citations, explore relationships between authors, institutions, countries, and keywords, and summarize research hotspots and frontiers in the field of nursing students' mental health. Results: Articles published from database inception to August 15, 2024, were screened, leading to the retrieval of 3803 relevant articles. The United States of America was the leading country in terms of research output on the mental health of nursing students, with 982 (25.79%) published articles, while the United States Department of Health and Human Services provided the most funding. Furthermore, Happell, B was the most productive author in this field, with 80 published papers. Lastly, Nurse Education Today was the most prolific journal in nursing education. Conclusion: The main recent research trends include the psychological profile of nursing students, intervention strategies for improving the mental health of nursing students, and the influence of educational methods, clinical experience, and humanistic care on the mental health of nursing students. These trends imply that researchers should develop targeted training programs, apply information technology, and implement personalized teaching to enhance the psychological resilience of the nursing student population. Moreover, higher education institutions should provide nursing students with more comprehensive and effective mental health support by maintaining mental health files, strengthening mental health education, providing psychological counseling services, and establishing social support systems.

The effect of laughter yoga on well-being, perceived stress, and academic self-efficacy in nursing students: A randomized controlled trial

Despite rigorous theoretical and clinical training, nursing students face emotional and academic challenges that can harm their well-being. Nonetheless, there is a dearth of research investigating the impact of laughter yoga (LY) on nursing students' well-being, perceived stress, and self-efficacy. The aim of this single-blinded, two-armed randomized controlled trial is to evaluate the effect of LY on nursing students' well-being, perceived stress, and academic self-efficacy (ASE). A total of five sessions of LY were applied to the intervention group. The analysis included a total of 83 nursing students (intervention group n = 41 and control group n = 42). Repeated-measures multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and paired-samples t-test were used for data analysis. Results revealed that the intervention group showed a significant increase in well-being (p < .001) and a decrease in perceived stress after LY (p < .01). However, statistically significant differences between the intervention and control groups were not found in well-being, perceived stress, and ASE (p > .05). These results indicate the potential effects of LY on the students' well-being and perceived stress. Community mental health nurses and educators can use LY to improve well-being in universities.

Effects of laughter yoga practiced by the first year nursing students before clinical practice on their perceptions of stress and meaning of life: a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Laughter yoga has a positive effect on the person's mental/general health, life satisfaction and psychological well-being and enables the person to cope with stress.

OBJECTIVE

This randomized controlled study was conducted to determine the effect of laughter yoga practiced by first year nursing students before clinical practice on their perceptions of stress and meaning of life.

METHOD

In this experimental randomized and controlled study including a control group, we administered a pre-test, post-test one and post-test two to the participating students. Ninety nursing students who met the inclusion criteria comprised the study sample. The students in the intervention group took part in eight sessions of laughter yoga for four weeks, twice a week. The Descriptive Information Form, Perceived Stress Scale, and Meaning and Purpose of Life Scale were administered to collect the study data.

RESULTS

The mean age of the students in the intervention and control groups was 19.65 ± 2.27 and 19.18 ± 1.01 years, respectively. Of the participants in both groups, 91.1% were women, and 97.8% were single. The difference between the mean scores obtained from the Perceived Stress Scale and the Meaning and Purpose of Life Scale by the students in the intervention group at the pre- and posttest were statistically significant (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Laughter yoga positively affects nursing students' perceptions of stress and meaning and purpose of life.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Trial Registration number and Date of registration: NCT06042959 / 09/14/2023 06:17.

A Systematic Review of Yoga Interventions on the Mental Health of Nursing Professionals and Students

This systematic review aimed to evaluate the impact of yoga interventions on preventing and alleviating mental health issues, including stress, anxiety, burnout, depression, and other related factors among nursing professionals and students. The review adhered to the PRISMA guidelines and was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42024512366). A comprehensive literature search was conducted in Google Scholar and PubMed using keywords such as "nursing students," "nursing professionals," "yoga interventions," and "mental health." Eligible studies were randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published from 1st January 2014 to 31st December 2024, involving nursing population and yoga-based interventions targeting mental health outcomes. The risk of bias was assessed using the CASP tool. The search identified 14 RCTs (967 participants, predominantly female, age range - 18 to 69 years) that met the eligibility criteria. The yoga intervention varied in duration (10 minutes to 1 hour per session), frequency (once to five times weekly), and protocols (Laughter yoga being the most common). Mental health outcomes such as stress, anxiety, burnout, mindfulness, depression, quality of sleep, and life satisfaction were assessed. Most studies reported significant improvements in these outcomes in the yoga intervention groups compared to control groups. Nine studies showed a significant stress reduction, and 3 studies found a decrease in anxiety. No adverse effects were reported, and dropout rates varied between 0% to 52.1%. Yoga was found to be effective in improving mental health and well-being among nursing professionals and students. Yoga mainly reduced stress, anxiety, burnout, and depression, suggesting its potential as a low-cost, accessible intervention for mental health management in this population. Future studies should focus on refining protocols and exploring long-term effects to establish yoga as an integral part of mental health care for nursing professionals and students.

The Effect of Laughter Yoga on Vasomotor Symptoms and Sleep Quality in Menopausal Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial

This experimental study aimed to determine the effects of online laughter yoga on the sleep quality and vasomotor symptoms (VMS) of menopausal women through a prospective, randomized controlled trial. About 36 women who attend the Menopause School were randomized into either the laughter yoga (n = 18) or the control group (n = 18). The laughter yoga group participated in eight online laughter yoga sessions, with two sessions per week for four weeks, whereas the control group did not receive any intervention. Data were collected using the Descriptive Characteristics Form, Visual Analog Scale (VAS), and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The laughter yoga group had significantly lower posttest VAS scores compared with the control group in all VMS (P < .05). Furthermore, the posttest PSQI score of the laughter yoga group was significantly lower than that of the control group (P < .05). Although there was no significant difference in the pretest and posttest scores obtained by the control group from the VAS and PSQI (P > .05), the intervention group exhibited a statistically significant difference in their pretest and posttest VAS and PSQI scores (P < .05; P < .001, respectively). The results indicate that laughter yoga is an effective method for reducing VMS and improving sleep quality.

Effectiveness of stress management interventions for nursing students: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Elevated stress levels are related to diminished mental health, potentially leading to decreased well-being and performance of nursing students. While researchers have focused on developing stress management interventions, there is a need to synthesize the evidence. A systematic review with meta-analysis was conducted to assess the evidence for the effectiveness of stress management interventions in nursing students. A systematic literature search identified controlled stress management interventions employing a validated psychological or physiological stress measure. Forty-one studies were included, with 36 forming a pool of 2715 participants in the meta-analysis. The overall effect on psychological stress was positive. Intervention type, delivery modality, intervention duration in weeks, and number of sessions were moderators of intervention effectiveness, with more significant effects for mind-body programs, on-site delivery methods, durations of 9-12 weeks, and 15-30 sessions. For physiological stress, the biomarkers of blood pressure, heart rate, and cortisol levels decreased significantly. Future research is necessary for promising outcomes related to currently underrepresented indicators and to investigate the long-term effects of interventions.

Efficacy and Safety of Laughter Yoga in Cancer Patients: A Scoping Review of Randomized Controlled Trials

The use of laughter yoga as a complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) strategy has recently gained interest as a potential supportive intervention for cancer patients. In this review, we aimed to assess the impact of laughter yoga on the quality of life of cancer patients, with a focus on evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Our analysis indicates that laughter yoga can significantly improve the quality of life of cancer patients by improving emotional and physical functioning and reducing symptoms of depression and stress. These findings suggest that laughter yoga is a promising CAM practice for enhancing cancer patients' psychological and physical health. Future research should aim to extend these studies to more extensive and more diverse populations to validate and expand upon these findings.

The Effect of Laughter Therapy on Perceived Stress and Quality of Life in Persons with Schizophrenia: A Mixed Method Pilot Study

This study was planned to examine the effects of laughter therapy on the perceived stress and quality of life level of persons with schizophrenia and their views on laughter therapy. This study is a mixed-methods pilot study conducted using a quasi-experimental design based on the pretest-posttest model. Of the participants 68% (n = 17) were male, 92% (n = 23) were single, 56% (14) were high school graduates, 60% (n = 15) were unemployed, 60% (n = 15) lived with their parents, 88% (22) had been receiving treatment for schizophrenia for more than 10 years. The difference between the pretest and post-test means was not found to be significant in participants' perceived stress (p > 0.05), and the difference between the pretest and post-test means of the Schizophrenia Quality of Life Scale's Interpersonal Relations, Instrumental Role, and Intrapsychicv (mental findings) subscales was found to be statistically significant (p < 0.05). The main themes of laughter therapy among persons with schizophrenia in the focus group interviews were found to be optimism, coping, health, sociability, motivation, awareness, and functionality. Laughter therapy was found to increase the quality of life of persons with schizophrenia, not affect perceived stress, and positively affect optimism, coping, health, sociability, motivation, awareness, and functionality levels. The researchers recommend using laughter therapy to improve the quality of life of people with schizophrenia during their rehabilitation.