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

Comparing Brief Cognitive-behavioral Group Therapy and Laughter Yoga on Depression and Psychological Resilience in Nursing Students With Mental Symptoms: A Randomized Controlled Trial

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.

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.

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.