The Effect of Laughter Therapy on the Quality of Life and Psychological Well-being of Nursing Students

Experimental group students will undergo a laughter therapy programme comprising a total of eight sessions, at a rate of two sessions per week; the control group will receive no intervention during the study period. The days and times for the laughter therapy sessions to be conducted with the experimental group will be planned in consultation with the students. The sessions will be held in a suitable classroom or conference room with the participants seated in a U-shaped arrangement. During the first session, students will receive a brief introduction and information about the activities to be conducted throughout the session. Each session aims to encourage spontaneous laughter by incorporating breathing exercises, rhythmic clapping and vocal exercises, playful and energetic games, "icebreaker laughter," and guided meditation. Each session is scheduled to last approximately 40 minutes.

The scale was developed by Ware et al. in 1995. A validity and reliability study conducted by Soylu and Kütük in 2002 demonstrated that it is a measurement tool with adequate psychometric properties for assessing general health status and health-related quality of life in clinical practice and scientific research. The scale comprises 12 items across eight sub-dimensions: physical functioning (2 items), physical role (2 items), bodily pain (1 item), general health (1 item), energy (1 item), social functioning (1 item), emotional role (2 items) and mental health (2 items). Items relating to physical and emotional roles are answered on a dichotomous basis (yes or no), whilst the other items are measured on a Likert scale ranging from 3 to 6. A score of 100 on the scale indicates the best state of health, whilst a score of 0 indicates the worst state of health. In the Turkish validity and reliability study, the Cronbach's alpha coefficient was determined to be between 0.92 and 0.88.

The scale identifies key elements of human functioning, ranging from positive relationships to feelings of competence and leading a meaningful and purposeful life. It was developed by Diener and colleagues in 2009. The adaptation into Turkish was carried out by Telef in 2011. In the reliability study of the scale, the Cronbach's alpha internal consistency coefficient was calculated as .80 The items on the Psychological Well-being Scale are rated on a scale of 1 to 7, ranging from 'I strongly disagree' (1) to 'I strongly agree' (7). All items are phrased in positive terms. Scores range from 8 to 56. A high score indicates that the individual possesses a wide range of psychological resources and strengths. Although the scale does not provide separate measurements of the various dimensions of well-being, it offers a general overview of positive functioning across different areas that we believe to be important.