Laughter Yoga's Impact on Parental Stress, Burnout, and Self-Efficacy

The Effect of Laughter Yoga Applied to Parents of Mentally Disabled Children on Stress Level, Burnout and Parental Self-Efficacy

The present study aims to investigate the effects of laughter yoga on stress levels, burnout, and parental self-efficacy among parents of children with intellectual disabilities.

The specific hypotheses of the study are as follows:

Hypothesis 1: The mean salivary cortisol levels of the intervention group will be significantly lower than those of the control group.

Hypothesis 2: The perceived stress levels of the intervention group will be significantly lower than those of the control group.

Hypothesis 3: The parental self-efficacy levels of the intervention group will be significantly higher than those of the control group.

Hypothesis 4: The burnout levels of the intervention group will be significantly lower than those of the control group.

To assess the effectiveness of the laughter yoga intervention, participants in the intervention group will be compared to a control group of parents who also have children with intellectual disabilities but will not receive any form of intervention. The intervention will consist of a total of eight laughter yoga sessions, conducted twice a week over a four-week period.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Parents of children enrolled in the school where the study was conducted
• Parents of children diagnosed with moderate to severe intellectual disability
• Parents who are at least literate
• Parents who can speak and understand Turkish
• Parents with no prior experience in laughter yoga

Exclusion Criteria:

• Parents who have undergone abdominal surgery in the past three months, or those with uncontrolled hypertension, glaucoma, hernia, or epilepsy
• Parents diagnosed with endocrine disorders such as Cushing's or Addison's disease
• Parents on continuous medication (e.g., glucocorticoids, antidepressants, insulin, or oral antidiabetics)
• Pregnant parents
• Parents with hearing, vision, speech, or intellectual disabilities