Open Access, Peer-reviewed
pISSN 2287-2434
eISSN 2287-447X
    J Korean Oncol Nurs. 2011 Aug;11(2):93-100. Korean.
    Published online Aug 31, 2011.
    https://doi.org/10.5388/jkon.2011.11.2.93
    © 2011 Korean Oncology Nursing Society
    Original Article

    The Effects of Laughter Therapy on Stress Responses in Patients with Preoperative Breast Cancer

    Hae Jeong Han,1 Aris Park,2 Hyun Sun Kim,2 HanKyung Moon,2 and Yeon-Hwan Park3
      • 1Head Nurse, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
      • 2Nurse, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
      • 3Associate Professor, College of Nursing, The Research Institute of Nursing Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.
    • Address reprint requests to: Park, Yeon-Hwan. College of Nursing & The Research Institute of Nursing Science, Seoul National University, 101 Daehak-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul 110-799, Korea. Tel: +82-2-740-8846, Fax: +82-2-765-4103, Email: hanipyh@snu.ac.kr
    Received January 21, 2011; Accepted July 28, 2011.

    Abstract

    Purpose

    The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of laughter therapy on mood, state anxiety, and serum cortisol based on a Stress-Coping Model for preoperative breast cancer patients.

    Methods

    The study used a nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design. The participants were 40 breast cancer patients who were admitted to one general hospital for surgery in 2009 (experimental group 23, control group 17). The experimental group received one hour laughter therapy consisting of dance, lots of laughter techniques, and meditation.

    Results

    The mean ages were 47 years (experimental group) and 49 years (control group). There were no significant differences in demographic and disease-related characteristics between the two groups. After the intervention, the scores of mood and state-anxiety of experimental group were significantly improved than those of control group. However, no difference was found in serum cortisol.

    Conclusion

    The laughter therapy was partially effective in improving stress response in patients with breast cancer. Further research is needed to develop and evaluate the longer periods of interventions to testify the effects on serum cortisol, and other biochemical variables.

    Keywords
    Stress response; Anxiety; Cortisol; Laughter therapy; Breast Cancer

    Figures

    Fig. 1
    Conceptual framework of the study.

    Fig. 2
    Changes in mood and state-anxiety between two groups.

    Exp.=experimental group; Con.=control group.

    Tables

    Table 1
    Homogeneity Test of Demographic Characteristics and Disease-related Characteristisc between Experimental and Control Group

    Table 2
    Homogeneity Test of Outcome Variables before Laughter Therapy

    Table 3
    The effects of Laughter Therapy on Mood, State-anxiety, and Serum cortisol

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    MeSH Terms
    Anxiety
    Breast
    Breast Neoplasms
    Hospitals, General
    Humans
    Hydrocortisone
    Laughter
    Laughter Therapy
    Metrics
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